Things start with a snap
by flowerpower17
Summary: John suffers an accident and a young woman crosses his path... will they wont they.. who knows but the FBI and FAB might just tango together for once...
1. Go Your Own Way

A yawn parted Johns lips as he rolled over in bed, opening his eyes slowly he strained to see the clock that was beside his bed. Nine thirty he sighed , of course he'd slept late. He couldn't help that he enjoyed the lie in, after all it was one of his weeks off. A tiny smile appeared on his features as he thought of running, he forced himself to sit up and wake up. He blinked lazily, as he headed for the shower. A few minutes later he looked at his clothes all hung in the closet, he took a pair of old jeans and threw on an old t-shirt, jogging on his day off was something he had enjoyed. It gave him a sense of peace and he could run off all the stress from the space station. His blue eyes swept over the four pairs of shoes he had. He picked out the trainers and slipped them on. He grabbed a small bag with a bottle of water, two sandwiches and an apple in it, and left his apartment. He bounded down the stairs and in less than a few minute he was out into the sun. He started to jog his way to the nature trail, it wasn't that long until he hit the dirt tracks. He had his favourite trail, it lead him through the woodland and eventually to the waterfall. The sun beat down on him as he ran, he always tried to push himself to do the track faster or a longer one. He thought about it today as he ran. He figured the way he felt he could knock a couple of seconds, hopefully more off his time. He had been running for a good half hour now, he followed the track around the corner, as he saw water running slowly across the path. He ran through the shallow part, then suddenly he slipped. His feet shot sideways, as he heard a snap, his head hit a tree. He lay on the floor for a couple of moment before he realised what had happened. He reached up to his head which felt like it was going to explode, he took his hand away and saw some blood on it. His best bet was to go back the way he came, as it was almost double the distance to carry on. He was annoyed by what had happened, but it had and there was nothing he could do. He struggled to his feet before letting out a shriek of pain and collapsing on the ground again. He figured the snap was her ankle, with out help he wasn't going to get anywhere. He propped himself up against a tree, and took a drink from his water, that was now squished half flat. He could feel the pain from his ankle, as he hoped someone would come by and help.

Christine Luca, a five foot eight, brown curly haired woman. Brown eyes and at the age of twenty five, she was a pretty looking girl. Her tank top and jeans were both blue, though faded. Chris had to train for her physical in two weeks, hence why she had chosen a difficult route. Being a federal agent her fitness was something she couldn't afford to let slip. Her route was the same, and it had been for the past few years. It never changed, as her feet beat down on the path. The music player was blaring in her ears, as she happily hummed along with the various tunes. She scanned the scenery in front of her as her eyes came to rest upon a young handsome blonde haired man. If the fact he seemed to be sitting down, was no cause for concern the fact his head was bleeding seemed to say that he needed some kind of help. She walked up to the man as she smiled softly.

"Hey boss.. ya need a hand?"

Her soft voice asked as John's thoughts were broken. As he saw her heart shaped face, he smiled as he nodded not quite able to string a sentence together.

"Yes.. not that I cant.. but I"

Chris knelt down by his side, as her fingers traced over the shallow cut on his forehead. It was not too bad, but like all head wounds they bled a lot, and mostly looked a lot worse than they were. She took a tissue from her pocket as she wiped away some of the blood, and smiled at him again. She held her hand up as waved two fingers in front of his face.

"How many fingers boss?"

She asked as John seemed to be very woozy as he began to lean over to one side. Great a concussion she mused, as she heard some form of speech from him.

"Three"

Chris grinned as she shook her head, well for one it seemed like his head came off worse than the tree did, as she could see some blood on the offending culprit.

"Wrong answer boss. So anywhere else hurt?"

Came her next question as she followed his finger to his ankle. Again after she straightened him up, so he wouldn't topple over, her fingers felt around his ankle. A cry was elicited from John, as she tried to move it.

"Sprained, not broken. I shall be right back"

Chris said, as she ran a few paces into the tree line, as John sighed. Great she has run off, now im seriously stuck. He thought as she appeared back at his side, with two pieces of wood. Another scream came from him, as his trainer was removed and the wood placed at either side of his ankle. He watched as she tore his shoe lace from his trainer, and tied the wood to his ankle. Her eyes met his for a moment as again she smiled at him. John wasnt too sure where to look, being helped by her was one thing, but the other thoughts he was having, just were not good ones. Especially when he had not known the girl for five minutes.

"I'm gonna help you up.. do you think if I support you.. you can make it to my truck?"

She asked him as he nodded. John slid his good foot underneath him, as Chris slipped an arm around his waist, and his arm over her shoulders. Before he had his footing, Chris had dragged him to his feet. They swayed for a moment, as John gained his balance. He leaned over to her, but then he tried to keep his weight from her as he hopped and managed to stumble forward. He was saved from the ground, but Chris who had a good grip on him, as he began to hop and lean on her for support.

"What happened then? That tree jump out at ya?"

She asked him chuckling, as John grinned and nodded. They chatted about anything and nothing for a while, until a small car park came into view. I didn't take too long for him to be sitting in the front seat of Chris' truck, as she clambered into the drivers side.

"Thanks.."

Was all he said, as he saw her pull a gun from under her seat. John's breath caught in his throat, as he watched her check the bullets, and then fasten it to her waist. She then took a badge from the glove box, as that was fastened to the strap of her top. The pasty looking John looked straight out at the road. Way to go, who managed to find the only crazy person about today. He thought as the truck began to move. Chris took a glance at John, as she could see he was paler than he had been. Gun she thought as she smiled.

"Im FBI. So the gun is protection, and since you need to get to the hospital, you get special treatment."

John raised his brow at the mention of FBI, as the piercing sound of sirens wailed in his ears. The truck sped up, as it weaved in and around traffic. John could only concentrate on not being ill, as she pulled up outside of the hospital. With in seconds he was being carefully pulled from the truck, and placed on a gurney. The white lights flashed above his head, as he heard doors open, and people buzzing around him.

Chris watched the hospital staff work, as they threw his bag, wallet and phone. Chris flipped the phone open, as she searched though some numbers. One stood out as dad, as she immediately called. No answer, though Chris left the message as to where his son was and what had happened. She then checked the bag, and wallet. John Tracy. The ID said, as she passed it along to the medical staff.

Around an hour later, she was sat next to the bed where John was sleeping. Unfortunately she had been tasked with the job of waking him ever half hour. At one time she had thought the criminals she dealt with were grouchy, but waking John up was a whole other ball game. She stood up as she leant against the bed, her hands went to his shoulders, as she gently shook him.

"I need sleep.. leave me alone"

Came a groggy voice, as Chris laughed. He was still alive, she could hear that. His phone hadn't rang, or even received any messages. Which surprised her more than anything, as the door flew open, and a distinguished gentleman walked in. Followed closely by another young man.

"John... John are you ok? What happened to you?"

The older male said, as Chris looked at them both. The two males were fussing over a groggy John, as she heard a few swear words leave his mouth.

"He fell while running as far as I can tell. Doc said he would be fine, he has a slight concussion, and a sprained ankle. Nothing that wont be fixed in a week or so."

Chris said, as both the men nodded and smiled at her.

"Can I ask your relation to him?"

She asked as they both gave her their names, and the part that they were family. Chris nodded as she gathered her things from his bed side.

"I shall go now.. give my regards to him when he is more.... coherent."

She said as the two men laughed, and nodded.

"we didnt catch your name.. may I asked what it is?"

Jeff said, as Chris nodded. Hell why not just say, after all she hadn't told them, or John. And she did have a gun strapped to her hip.

"Christina Luca. Or Chris"

She said, as both Jeff and Scott nodded. They took up seats next the bed as Chris turned to walk out. The voice that she had heard for most of that day, spoke as her hand just reached the door.

"Wait.."

Chris turned and smiled before John was trying to sit up. He failed dramatically, as he flopped back down which in turn caused a low groan to be heard. Jeff, and Scott scrambled to make him more confortable, as Chris walked back over to him.

"Thanks... I dont think I said that.. but if I did thanks again."

Chris nodded, as her own cell phone began to chime. She answered quickly, as her face seemed to show anger, upset and fear all at the same time. Jeff and Scott looked between them, as their own phones began to ring.

"I... I have to go."

She said, her voice shaky and uneven as she ran from the room.


	2. Ranch Vacation

The rain hammered down on the road, puddles splashing up the side of the dark green Mercedes truck as it travelled along the gravel track. It was late evening as Jeff and his sons were on their way to a family retreat that had been organised much to their dislike by Jeff and Lady Penelope. However, with Tintin and Fermat left with Brains and Parker at Tracy Island everything seemed to be in a good working order.

"I don't see why we have to go to this hell hole dad. What if something happens?" Alan asked testily as Jeff simply smiled back at his son.

There were few occasions when they could go somewhere as a family, and few of those times when they were not directly needed as the Thunderbirds. It was a pleasant change to be going on a retreat, only made better by the fact it gave them all some quality time together and with Lady Penelope getting a friend to hire out their ranch for a week or two it was an opportunity not to be missed.

"Alan, it's a ranch, not a hell hole and it will make a nice changed to get back to the real world for a while. We will work together with out our fancy gadgets and toys for one week… if there's an emergency Lady Penelope said she has the transport covered for us. Just try and have fun Alan… for all our sakes" Said Jeff as he peered into the fading light on the evening.

The track seemed to go on forever as Alan sat huffing with Gordon and Virgil; the three seemed to be less thrilled with the idea of a working holiday than anyone else was. Of course, perhaps Jeff's motives were a little blurred given a certain women presence there but it would be enjoyable he had assumed from the start.

"Urgh that means dirt. Why do we have to work dad, can't we just relax or even go back HOME and do that?" Alan was less pleased with their new adventure though he was making no effort to hide it.

"Shut it squirt, it'll be fun. A ranch come on what could be more fun?" Scott chimed in as John laughed.

The track soon turned into a gravel yard as Jeff pulled the truck up outside the front door of a large farmhouse that towered a good four floors up. The wooden outside barely looked able to keep the place standing let alone three extra floors of timber. His thoughts were soon distracted when several lights were turned on in the house, shining a light into the yard that illuminated the car and no further. There was a slow creaking as an elderly man of about sixty limped his way towards the car from the house.

With in a good few minutes, the Tracy's were inside the warm cosy surroundings of the house as their cases were brought in quickly by two more able bodied men. Their abandoned cases were left by their feet as the front door was locked and the two men disappeared into the house once more. Jeff gave a smile to the elderly man he held out his hand.

"Jeff Tracy, I believe you are expecting us." He stated, as the man seemed to give them a good look over before accepting the invitation to shake hands.

"We are that Mr Tracy, the names Bill, and I see you are all young strapping lads, can't let you go to waste. Now come in come in… don't just stand in the doorway. I think there is a lady to see you in the sitting room," His husky voice grumbled as led the way into the sitting room.

Bill seemed to be a no nonsense man Jeff thought as the familiar vision in Pink graced their eyes. Lady Penelope sat drinking tea in one of her many pink outfits as Jeff and the boys entered and took up seats where Bill pointed them. Alan for probably the first time on the journey did what he was asked first time, as Bill gave him a stern look, that he was sure would kill him if given half the chance.

"Hello boys" Came the familiar two words from Lady Penelope as she stood for a moment before returning to her seat.

"Penelope it's good to see you. Did you have a good trip here?" Jeff began as Bill interrupted.

"Well you boys had better get you pretty little faces to bed, we start here at five thirty sharp, and by six we are out that door and working." He said as he clapped and nodded to Lady Penelope before taking his leave and walking out.

"Dad its only ten PM, why the hell does that nosey old busy body get to tell us what to do" Alan said rather annoyed by the whole trip and now the people.

"Alan" Jeff said angrily, "We are all here and we are going to enjoy it, now you had better to as Bill said, we are not here to upset the locals"

Alan just glared at his father as Gordon and Virgil made the excuses to head to bed, as they picked up their cases at the foot of the carpeted staircase and made the way to their rooms. Lady Penelope made the next move as she place her cup and saucer onto a small table at the side of her chair. As she stood, the whole room followed and both she and Jeff made their way to their separate rooms leaving Scott, John and Alan alone downstairs.

"Why are we even here? It's not as if we can learn anything, what is there to doing this ranch stuff anyway? Can't be that bad" Alan said as he glanced around at the small cosy room they were in.

Alan caught the snickers from John and Scott as Alan began to make a move to head to his room, he was followed closely be John and Scott as Bill stood waiting for them at the top of the stairs, a smug look on his face as he pointed to one room with three beds in it. Alan could see the sheer pleasure Bill had just standing there and seeing their faces fall from their reasonably good mood to one hell of a bad one.

"You're kidding right?" Alan said as John and Scott took up the two beds closest to the door.

"Kid I gave you fair warning, your fathers room is two doors down, Lady Penelope across the hall and your bothers have those two rooms." He said pointing to another two doors further down the hallway. "And if you need anything, we are up on the third floor; do not disturb the owner who has the room at the far end of the hall. Gentlemen on this fine night I bid you all sweet dreams"

The howl of laughter that erupted from Bill caused Alan's blood to boil as John managed to drag Alan inside kicking and swearing about the arrangements. It was only minutes later that the house was plunged into darkness once more. John, Scott and Alan were left stumbling around getting their cases unpacked before they finally managed to get some rest. The rhythmic hammering of the rain on the windows and the eerie creaking of the house caused any sleep for Scott and John to be lost, however Alan lay snoring much to their surprise and despair.

It was a good few hours later as the pair lay discussing the latest International Rescue missions, that a car engine caught their attention. The odd rattling sound that didn't quite seem healthy for a car to make. Moments later, they heard the front door creak open and close as both seemed to have an attack of fear as their hands clutched their beds. John looked towards their door as the hallway light flickered on and three sets of footsteps began their decent down the staircase that they had travelled up hours earlier that night.

"Come on… let's go see" Scott said always being the curious one as both men crept silently towards their door.

John's shaky hand opened it a fraction as he glanced across the hallways seeing that Lady Penelope's door was wide open. They shared a confused look as silently they made their way to the top of the staircase where although they couldn't see what was going on, they could hear every word. Scott managed to catch a glimpse of a pink dressing gown for which he guessed it was Lady Penelope. It wasn't long before the voices began to drift towards them.

"Sweet Jesus child what happened?" A raspy voice asked, as there was a clattering of pots. "I'll get the coco on, Ma'am would you like some?"

John and Scott heard Lady Penelope's kind refusal as the pair grinned, if it weren't tea then she probably wouldn't touch it they thought, as the voice of Bill sounded next.

"Come and sit down, you look like hell miss" Bill told Chris as he pulled out a chair from the large kitchen table, next to where Lady Penelope was sitting.

The kitchen was large with two wagon wheels hanging from the ceiling. Pots, pans and cutlery hung from them, as a middle-aged man who skin was as dark as chocolate began rooting among the hanging pans. One arm remaining at his side the whole time. The large oak table where Bill, Lady Penelope and Christina now sat matched perfectly with the colours of the wooden cabinets, the kitchen looked old and rustic truly in keeping with the rest of the house.

"Now child you look here, why don't you just quit that god awful job of yours and live here, you spend every living moment here if you're not working. Would save you coming up here looking like death warmed up and givin us old folks here near heart failure." Bill ranted as a small laugh was elicited from both females.

"Hey now Billy you know I cant just up and quit and I love my job, you can't just quit it can you Lady P?" Christina chirped as she looked over at the middle-aged man. "Cookie thanks you know how I love you're cooking"

John froze as he felt his body break out in goose bumps. His hand shot to his ankle as Scott noticed the change in his brother as their eyes locked. Johns hand ran over his ankle where he had sprained it, it had been a good three four months since that day. A good long while since he had heard the voice of the angel who had disappeared with out so much of a goodbye. John and Scott seemed to both know what either one thought as they leaned closer to the banisters hoping to hear a little more.

"Hey John… you don't think it's that Chris who you never shut up about?" Scott whispered only to receive a sharp blow to his arm as he grumbled several words, before going back to eavesdrop.

"Of course not but Christina, you have to know when to call it a day. You do look unwell" Lady Penelope remarked much to Chris's dismay as both Bill and Cookie nodded in agreement.

"Look I have two weeks off; they think that I need the break so you lovely fellas and Lady got yourself a cowgirl for a while." Chris told them happily, as both men smiled though their worries.

"Here you go child, get that down you and it's a guaranteed cure for what ever happened today, if you cant say then we hear nothing but you just run along and talk when you like child" Cookie coached, hoping to get some information from her.

Lady Penelope sat as she listened attentively to Bill, Cookie and Christina as she held her happy demeanour that never really changed.

"Now don't you two go getting yourselves panicked, I know what you're like, but here it is. A bust went bad, nothing big but there was a shooting and I well no doubt I'll be on the national news tomorrow…" Chris managed to say before all hell broke loose.

"I told you she had no business being in the FBI, too dangerous for you child." Cookie hollered as Lady Penelope hushed him.

"See Miss why get shot at when you know you can be here full time. It's not as if you don't like working here. Miss I don't want to see you back here in a box" Bill grumbled to her.

Christina sat as she raised her hands for a moment before giving up and drinking nearly the entire coco Cookie had made. Her eyes rolled in her head as she smiled and gave her apologies of Lady Penelope. The two men began their one hundred and one reasons why the FBI was no place for Christina as Lady Penelope and Chris began their own one hundred and one reasons why it was a good place to be. Though seeing and hearing that it was no time of night for an argument Chris quickly attempted a change of subject.

"So how are the guests doing? I hope you haven't scared them with your five thirty roll call already?" She asked eying Bill closely.

She found her answer as Bill sheepishly looked towards the ground and made a few grumbles in his defence as Lady Penelope filled in the rest.

"Yes they are settled in fine, I think Mr Alan Tracy might be a handful given he doesn't think much to Bill here, but I think they will like it." She explained as Chris nodded, "Thank you once again for opening your home to my friends; I hope we do not impose too much on your hospitality."

Bill rolled his eyes and sighed heavily as Cookie let out a hiccup of a laugh causing several more chuckles around the table.

"Lady P, your always welcome here you know that, and anyway it's a shame Parker couldn't come with you this time. It's not much of hospitality we have a room problem as I'm sorry but I don't have seven rooms free for ya'll" Chris said apologetically. "Three have to share and I hope that its not too bad, I hired a few new hands around here to help out given my extra hours, so the rooms are short until I can get the cottages fixed up for them they are staying in the house"

Scott's brow furrowed as he looked at John, "Cottages… how much land does this woman have?" He mouthed as John smirked shifting to sit a little closer to the banisters.

"It's always a pleasure to be here, and in such refined company as well." Lady Penelope replied, smiling sweetly towards Bill and Cookie "I think I may retire before morning. I shall be up at five thirty sharp to give a helping hand where ever I can."

Lady Penelope's words seemed to strike a cord with Bill as he immediately stood up and shook his head.

"My Lady, this should be a relaxing break for you, I think we can manage around here, you just enjoy yourself," Bill said as Cookie stood up as Lady Penelope made her way to leave.

"Thank you and I think I may take a trip down to the river and catch up on some reading. If you need me you know how to reach me, I bid you all good night"

Chris stood up not long after as she cleaned her cup out and looked towards Cookie and Bill. Their faces suddenly solemn and worried as she weakly smiled at them.

"We all better be getting to sleep now. Thanks for the coco Cookie, it works wonders and I told you both not to worry I'll be up with you both tomorrow for sun rise, and then we can go kick these guys into action," Chris said optimistically as they both grinned towards her.

"Night Missy" Bill said "Sleep well child" Cookie added as the two men watched her leave.

Lady Penelope stood waiting at the foot of the stairs as she smiled upon seeing Christina. John and Scott sat frozen for a moment before they both quickly scurried to their room leaving the door open only a fraction, as their eyes scanned the hallway waiting to see the faces that would appear soon.

"Christina, maybe you should put some thought into what Cookie and Bill suggested. I would hate to see you hurt, and from what I can see in your face there was more to it than a shooting. Care to tell me just what happened today, as we do both know how the news stations twist the truth to get a story." Lady Penelope asked her as Chris just shook her head.

"Maybe another night for stories Lady P. I will give it some thought, in fact I might take some more time off, until I can catch up with things around here," Christina said as the two woman walked arm in arm up the stairs. "Night, and I'm sure Parker has already sent you the details, if not I might fill you in on it tomorrow"

John just stared as he saw Christina walk Lady Penelope to her door before walking up to the end of the hall. Her footsteps were quiet and almost unheard as the two boys suddenly felt the door being pushed open. They staggered back as they saw the two amused faces of Cookie and Bill staring at them.

"Boys you had better catch what ever sleep you can. Tomorrow the fun begins!" Bill said.

"I dont like to be listened to, especially by people who have no good reason to be awake at this hour" Cookie added sternly as the two chuckled and walked off around the corners as the creaking footsteps stopped almost as soon as they had started as the house lay in darkness once more.

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**All reviews and criticisms are more than welocme! Thank you for taking the time to read the story and new chapters will be added soon! Thanks again and Best wishes.**


	3. Its a Knock Out

Early morning rolled around as the Tracy's lay sleeping in their beds. The entire working household was up and ready to start the day, Lady Penelope sat in the kitchen finish her breakfast that consisted of toast and cereal. Cookie was organising the breakfast for the farm hands who slowly began milling into the kitchen, taking up the seats around the kitchen table as Bill began rooting in a cupboard clattering unsuspecting objects around until he placed a few aerosol cans on the table and grinned towards a few of the men.

"Wake up calls have just changed." Bill deviously smirked as his face seemed to light up. "My Lady Sorry for the noise… well let just give em a small shot of adrenalin."

Lady Penelope shook her head, her devious smile causing amusement as she went about her usual leisurely style. She took her already saddled house and rode off to the river for a relaxing day. Lady Penelope had known Christina for a good few years, the two had worked together on many an occasion and although their working styles were a far cry from conventional, the pair got the job done. Lady Penelope had been coming to the ranch for years, the scenery and tranquil surroundings were not Tracy Island but they held a certain air of their own.

Taking the aerosol in hand several of the men gave it a quick look over, they noticed it was an air horn perhaps a bad thing for the slumbering Tracy family. Sure Cookie didn't mind being in on the joke, but giving several of the sleeping residents heart failure was just not something Cookie fancied first thing on a Saturday morning. Though before he could say anything most of the men were already setting off upstairs. They opened the doors and after all of a second their only sound to hear was the air horns and several swearing and startled Tracy boys.

The rooms were still dark and the sun hadn't quite risen over the mountains as the boys jumped from their beds. The blearing sound of a horn made them run from the room out onto the hallway. Alan was the first out of the door standing half naked on the landing, his eyes wild as several roars of laughter erupted. There was a crunching noise as Gordon and Virgil shoved their doors open roughly. The men who had the aerosols in hand came giddily down the stairs.

Alan began to see his brothers and father slowly assemble, he turned to look at them glaring at his father as he muttered about the hell hole they were in. John and Scott retreated back into their room with Alan continuing his spiteful words as Gordon and Virgil went to get dressed. Jeff began to try and get Alan to calm down though it seemed the boy was having none of it. Suddenly Alan stopped dead in his war of words, there was a wooden door at the far end of the hall which slammed shut. The sound echoed though the house as a woman of about twenty seven strode down the hallway towards Alan.

Alan couldn't help but stare at her, be no means was she as pretty as Lady Penelope but she seemed to command the situation. Her brown curly hair was tied back loosely, a black cowboy hat hung from her slender fingertips, her jeans rustling as she walked towards him, the light green checked shirt which hugged her every curve looked worn and old though her tan coloured boots seemed almost new. Alan looked at her closely feeling the need to grab something to cover his bare chest with, however as Alan turned to run into his room he found the door closed.

"Young man, you watch what you say about this place. It happens to be a home to some of us" Christina said sharply.

Christina had managed to grab a total of an hours sleep when she came back last night, though technically it was three in the morning. Like always when she was at home, she started her day with everyone else no matter how she felt, and today was no different. Half five and she was up and ready to work. Never the less Christina had a mood worse than a bear with a sore head, and Alan just wasn't helping matters as she stood and listened to his next flood of insults.

"Well it's a hell hole. How can people call this a home, were in the middle of no where, we don't even get a room to ourselves, and its FIVE THIRTY!" Alan yelled glaring at his father and Chris. "Who the hell are you anyway? Just another cowboy trying to look good for sticking up for this place"

Jeff just wanted the floor to swallow him up, Alan had been having problems sure and part of his reasons for taking a break from Tracy Island was to find out just what was going on with the boy. He had known that the idea of a working holiday wasn't a particular favourite of Alan's and being away from Tracy Island wasn't something Virgil, Gordon and Alan were fond of, however it was what had been decided. Jeff had raised four son's and none of them had shown the attitude and defiance Alan had. Forcing himself to look away from his son, Jeff saw the glimmer of amusement in Christina's eye, he recognised her from somewhere though he couldn't quite put his finger on where. Her face was familiar to him, and yet there was nothing clicking in his mind.

"It's a home because believe it or not, my family actually likes it here or at least I hope they do. As for a room to yourselves, I can only offer my apologies for that. I do hope to remedy the situation before the end of this week, however feel free to take up a space in the barn if you wish" Chris said sarcastically as she smiled at the boy, her tone was sharp and pointed something she would usually save for the people who she arrested however Alan was a special case.

"The five thirty start is nothing kid. You're awake at this time yes, but others around here are already working or are about to start, so count your stars … you had a sleep in today." She nodded to his last question. "I suppose you could say that, I'm just another cowboy. I can say this thought, the boss can be a real piece of work if you get on the bad side of things. Now scurry along and get ready before the boss does role call"

Her words were taken with a pinch of salt as Alan began again, though soon enough Jeff began his scolding shoving the boy back into his room only to have the door slammed in his face. Jeff shook his head before giving a sorrowful glance towards Christina. Words failed him for a short while, he half expected to be thrown out there and then after all Alan wasn't making things easy.

"I'm really sorry about that Miss. My son Alan hasn't taken to this trip well." He tried to explain.

His efforts were met with a weary smile as Chris held out her hand. Christina looked at Jeff for a quick moment, she had seen him before though her mind was so tired it just wouldn't focus as she began to stare at him. Her gesture was immediately taken by Jeff who gladly shook her hand as they exchanged smiles.

"You're Mr Tracy right?" She asked remembering the name of the guest they had expected, as he nodded. "Good to have you guys here, and I'll keep the work load light. After all it's a holiday you want… anyway I'm Chris, need anything give me a yell I presume you met Bill last night? Probably meet Cookie this morning for breakfast, anyway I had better get my boots walking."

Jeff smile and nodded introducing himself before Chris began heading towards the stairs. He rubbed his temples trying to remember where he had seen her before and even with the name Chris he was none the wiser. He turned and made his way back to his room as he began to change out of his night clothes into his work clothes for the day.

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Alan stood seething in his room as John could only glare open mouthed at him while Scott found a great deal of amusement in the situation. John could hardly form a coherent sentence as Scott began to laugh. Alan began pacing before he threw his case onto the floor, It landed with a great thud causing some dust to be knocked up from between the floor boards. Just another failing to add to Alan's ever growing list of why he didn't want to be there.

"Don't know what your laughing at… I hate it here and I'm going home." Alan stated.

Scott and John both knew that Alan was going no where, their father wouldn't let him and as to how he was going to get back to Tracy island well that remained to be seen. His words only made Scott laugh more and John, well he was still trying to form some words though he didn't get very far. It was mostly mumbles with a good few swear words mixed in.

"Alan you cant go home, dad told us we were staying for a week possibly two." Scott told him as his laughter subsided for a moment. "You know your rant out there… your way off base as usual… how do you expect to work with us when you act like… this?"

Alan just glared at Scott as he began to get himself ready throwing on a old t-shirt and a pair of jeans. John seemed abnormally eager to get out of the room and down the stairs, which only made Alan drag his feet in getting ready prolonging his own dislike for going anywhere and his brothers hasty retreat down stairs. In total about half an hour passed before the three found themselves sat around the kitchen table. There were a few others around jostling their way to get to the food that was being passed around. It didn't take much of an imagination to figure out who the topic of conversation was and Alan did his best to make sure that his feelings were know over breakfast.

To say that ill feelings were held for a certain Tracy boy that morning was an understatement. Several of the ranch workers who had stopped in for breakfast has subsequently left as fast as possible, leaving only the Tracy family, Bill, and Cookie in the kitchen.

"Dad, I want to leave… I hate it here, and we are needed at home" Alan said tartly.

Hearing enough of Alan for one day John kicked him under the table causing Alan to yelp in sudden pain. Jeff could see what was happening though he became powerless to stop it as chairs toppled over and Alan lunged for John across the wooden table, scattering plates to the floor. The pair collided as what was a kid gloves fight, started to become more serious as Alan managed to shove John towards the front door. The pair struggled falling out into the dawn light as they crashed down to the muddy ground. John caught a few faces looking on and ignoring the fight, and a few more laughing while John fought to keep Alan from hurting himself.

Cookie and Bill were quick to stop Virgil and Gordon going to join the brawl as they had their faces pushed into the table, they two boys only struggled for a short moment before a truce was given and the four made their way outside to the commotion, though firm grips still remained of both Gordon and Virgil. Scott and Jeff had already raced outside and had begun the frantic struggle to pull Alan from John. For a boy of only fifteen Alan rained blows down on John with the weight of a boxer, a well trained one at that. John however much he hated to start fighting with his family, he couldn't help but defend himself. Alan's frantic blows kept coming as Jeff tried to pull him from John, but a misaimed blow sent him face down into the muddy ground.

The brawl became more of a yelling match, the voices attracted the attention of several ranch hands who were enjoying the show, and had started taking bets already. Bill watched as the fight rolled on with none of the regular farm hands looking to go help. Well who could blame them given what Alan had said at the breakfast table. No one was particularly interested in stopping the fight, it was better than the TV. The noise had of course attracted the attention of Chris who was at the far side of the yard throwing seed out for a few dozen chickens that littered the yard. Yes there were always fights around the ranch, with so many different and opposing personalities of course there would be differences of opinions and some arguments did end up in punches being throw. Though give that the last time a fight had broken out it was over before anyone got hurt but this time, Christina could see the blood pouring from Jeff Tracy's lip.

"Hey… GET THE HELL OFFA HIM!" Chris yelled as she raced towards a black Chrysler Aspen.

Her hands reached into the glove box of her car, her fingers eagerly searching for her cuffs and pepper spray. The way she felt she did consider shooting something, though she had already written out one weapons report that week, filling out two wasn't on her list of jobs. Quickly she grabbed the two and headed over to the ball of fists, feet and family who was trying to pull the two away from each other.

"You got one second to stop this before you regret me getting involved" Chris told them.

She didn't bother giving them a second as Scott, Jeff and Christina all got involved at once. Scott managed to pull John from a squirming Alan who Jeff had a tenuous grip on. Soon enough the flailing Alan managed to shirk his father as they watched Alan attempt to go back for round two. Chris stood in front of him as she held a small can up to his face.

"Don't do it kid" She said as Alan smirked and started his charge at John and Scott.

If Alan had seen red before, he was seeing scarlet now. Chris lost her temper quickly with a combination of lack of sleep, a generally bad week and now the guests fighting amongst themselves. How could her week end any worse she thought as the kid ran. Jeff didn't know what had gotten into Alan, he watched Christina spray Alan's face with the liquid from the canister. His youngest son fell crying to the floor moving his hands to his face as he coughed and spluttered. Jeff and Christina grabbed each hand as they held them behind his back, however as his struggles began again Chris cuffed his hands as looked towards Jeff as she dropped the canister. Jeff's jaw and neck were covered in blood from his split lip as she moved his away from the spluttering and crying Alan.

Christina handed Jeff a hankie as she watched him clean himself up a little. Scott stood back from John and surveyed the damage to his brother. Unlike his father John had taken a good few blows to his head and face and torso. Scott watched as John swayed on his feet before falling forward into the arms of his brother. John's face was as white as a sheet as Scott glanced worriedly towards his father. Looking back at the handsome blonde haired man, Christina couldn't remember where she had seen the elder three of the group before. Her thoughts were short lived with Alan crying in one ear and Jeff looking over John who seemed to be dazed and confused for the most part.

"He needs a hospital" Scott announced as Virgil and Gordon ran towards John by passing Alan who lay crying.

"I.. I'm fine, just give me a minute" John murmured as he tried to get up.

His head began to spin as he felt nauseous, he was lowered back to his sitting position as Jeff shook his head and glanced to where Christina had once stood. Standing up Jeff watched as Bill limped his way across to them, yelling at the spectators who had gathered to watch the show. It was like the parting of the seas, the gathering spectators soon left and began their work muttering quietly.

"You and your boy are going to the hospital. Chris has gone to fetch her keys" Bill explained as he gave a sorrowful look at John.

"I am so sorry about Alan. I … we are going home today, we've caused enough trouble for you all here" Jeff said for his words only to fall upon deaf ears.

"Look Jeff" Bill replied "Fights are as common as muck around here but this is a little different. Either way, its not my place to say stay… but I think it might be better for the young one if you did"

Had Jeff known what chaos would have come from his idea, he wouldn't have left Tracy Island at all. One if his boys was crying, the other looked like death warmed up and even he himself had a bust lip. It reminded him of a mission that had gone wrong, however he never thought that it would be Alan that had caused the damage.

"I cant apologise enough for this…" Jeff began as he was interrupted.

"Who's coming to the hospital… Alan doesn't need to go, Cookie has him covered" Chris called.

Scott, Gordon and Virgil moved John towards Chris's truck as she opened the back door for them. John was placed on the back seat as Scott climbed in with him muttering to Gordon and Virgil who just nodded and listened to him. Chris turned her attentions to Jeff once again offering a smile as Bill clapped a hand on Jeff shoulder as he gave the man a small shove towards the truck.

Jeff jumped into the passenger seat as Chris shut both the doors for the two men. Her gaze then turned towards Alan who was still crying on the floor like a two year old.

"You know the combination Bill, milk, honey, a mild detergent and a little baking soda. Should fix him up by the time we get back" She called looking in disgust at Alan.

The drive to the hospital was uneventful, apart from the wide eyed look she had from Jeff Tracy as she used the lights on her truck, coupled with a good amount of speed. Perhaps she wasn't the safest driver in the world, but she got from A to B as fast as possible and they arrived in one piece. She managed to steal a few glances catching both John and Scott's faces. She had a strange sense of DeJa Vu their faces she couldn't place them, though soon her thoughts became broken approaching the hospital.

Christina watched as Jeff took John to be checked over and Scott followed as the three disappeared on the trail of a chipper nurse who had met them at the desk. Chris was left at a loose end as a few papers were thrown her way. She smiled and nodded at one harassed doctor as she filled out the paperwork to the best of her ability. There really wasn't that much she knew about the Tracy family. Soon she was again at a loss, her eyes glancing around the steady stream of people in and out of the building.

"Hey Luca… you here on business. I mean you love me for sure, but I only saw ya last night! Your not stalking me are ya?" A deep voice boomed over the monotone back ground noise of people and machines.

A tall rake like, suited figure strode confidently towards Christina as her face cracked into a smile. That unforgettable smile that crossed her lips but not her eyes as the pair embraced each other. Christina felt her day had been lifted as the pair began a small bout of boxing. Tapping each others shoulders and arms.

"Well if it isn't the one and only Damien Reese its good to see your still actually working after last night…" Chris retorted as both chuckled.

The pair moved around to the side of the reception desk, the crooks of their arms linked as The suited man in his early forties began to poke at her side. Damien, a forty five year old good old Tennessee boy who had worked and trained Christina though out her still short career with the FBI. The pair were a force to be reckoned with at the best of times, and the pair were often seen as closer than they should be. Damien was a extremely handsome man, the type who just seemed to ripen with age and no doubt a flash of his smile had most women falling over each other. The only sad part of it was he had a wife and child at home, they were the picture perfect family. Though Damien never wore his wedding band to work for reasons well known to everyone in the FBI, family's and some of the people they met just didn't jive. It was pointless to flaunt the fact you had family to the very people who could easily take it away.

Half an hour passed with idle chit chat between the pair as they laughed and joked, brightening each others day up considerably. They were very close, almost too close for some people's liking but Damien saw Christina as a little sister, and of course Damien was one of her teachers that always had her back though anything. People always said that when you suffer grief, loss and fear along side others a special bond forms. Such a bond had formed between the pair and they were as close as family, each would follow the other happily although contrary to many rumours. The pair never shared a relationship other than that of a brother and sister, a bond that over the eight has only become as strong as it could be.

"So what are you here for Luca? Not work related I know that… and you did take a week off. Everything ok?" Damien asked, his voice laced thickly with concern as his eyes gave the game away.

"Yeah everything's great… I told ya about that family who was coming to stay. Well the youngest kid started a fight and landed his brother and father here." She explained as Damien nodded.

She could see the amusement flicker across his eyes as she punched his side playfully, as their previous shenanigans began for a short few minutes.

"And why are you here? You didn't get the bullet last night …. I managed to have that privilege. So what's happening?" Christina asked only being greeted by a tap on her nose.

"Didn't your mama ever teach you to not as so many questions?" He teased.

"Yeah she did… but look what you taught me. So spill!" She demanded in a cheerfully light tone.

"Mendez crew, you remember working the case before it was handed over to white collar a few months ago…" he asked her, as Christina nodded.

"He sends one of yours to the hospital … you send one of his to the morgue…" His best Sean Connery accent working its magic, which sounded more like a really bad Irish accent. "I got the morgue part, Black Adders are one less… so watch your back there's a turf war brewing, or someone's cleaning up. I got a funny feelin about this… It don't sit right."

His words were met with caution as Damien Reese could see the wheels in her mind turning, or starting to. He reached his arm around her shoulders as he pulled her to him chuckling as he gazed at her.

"That'd damn well better be your badge Reese…" She scoffed as the pair began chuckling.

It was moments later that Jeff and his two sons appeared, walking towards Christina with a female doctor who was muttering to Jeff. Christina was still wrapped up happily in the arms of her co worker. However much to the second Tracy son's dismay he didn't see it as such. He couldn't hide the look of loss in his eyes as Scott managed to give him a gentle pat on the back as the three stopped short of Chris and Damien. The doctor smirked at the pair as she shook her head given her good byes to Jeff.

"Ah look who we have here… Laurel and Hardy. Are you two still brining bad business in here… or will that wait until Monday?" The doctor asked as she beckoned Damien to follow her.

Christina received a brief peck on the cheek before Damien disappeared, leaving a slightly more relaxed Christina with Jeff and his sons.

"So are you both ok?" Chris asked.

"Yeah, a bust lip but nothing to worry about. John though has a bad headache and some bruises, nothing that wont heal" Jeff said optimistically as he smiled. "Laurel and Hardy?" He asked inquisitively.

"As far Damien and I are concerned, its about time the FBI had a good sense of humour… not always appropriate humour but still, everyone needs to crack a smile now and again. Damien was my training agent and now, he's my partner" She said chuckling as Jeff smiled.

"I'm real sorry about Alan Christina. We'll be going as soon as we get back, I cant have him doing this again." Jeff explained as he shook his head the sorrow clear in his eyes.

Christina didn't know what it was that possessed her, but she found her hand going towards Jeff's face. A warm finger hooking under his chin as she guided his face gently to look at her.

"Jeff, you don't have to go and in case you think you're a special case… there's worse fighting between the guys back up yonder. So don't apologise for something out of your own control... Boys will be boys, though if its ok with you sir. I wonder if it would be ok to spend some time with Alan?" Her voice was firm and gentle as Jeff nodded absentmindedly.

"You think you can work with him… he is impossible. I have put it down to being a teenager but the rest of my boys… I never had any trouble like this." Jeff explained sadly.

Christina dropped her hand from Jeff's chin as she smiled happily. The three boys were set to make a move though before they could, Chris tapped John's shoulder. The handsome blonde haired man gazed at her with eyes she was sure she had seen before.

"Ok I got to ask this … where do I know you three from? Your faces are familiar, any ideas?" She chirped.

"I've been thinking the same thing since this morning." Jeff said nodding.

Their was a brief devious look shared between John and Scott before an elbow was dug into Scott's side. Chris raised her hands as Jeff looked less than impressed by his sons behaviour.

"You wouldn't happen to remember a concussed blonde haired man, running on a trail a few months back?" Scott goaded as the penny seemed to drop with Jeff. "Sprained ankle?" He added for good measure.

Scott's words brought a good flush to John's pale cheeks, his eyes desperately searching for anything to hold his attention as Chris laughed.

"Man, your … THAT John Tracy." She said triumphantly "I knew I recognised you. How've you been guys? Your ankle is better I trust, though I'm wondering about your head after today" She said as John noticed the genuine concern in her words.

It was hard to hide the smile she caused as he grinned from ear to ear before wincing. John sucked in a sharp breath before he felt the warm touch of her hand on his shoulder, the compassion showing clearly in her eyes and soft features. The room seemed to get that much stuffier as he felt the temperature rise a few degrees. John looked towards Jeff and Scott as the two smirked.

"Yeah he's that John Tracy, we still need to thank you for helping him out you know" Scott said, he was always the overprotective brother and he felt that they were in debt of Chris in a way.

"With this morning… call it even Stevens." She said as she walked ahead of the three men.

The rest of the day passed peacefully as John rested on the sofa, Jeff and Scott helped Cookie and Bill with the cleaning and the every day tasks around the house and yard. It eventually stopped raining as Gordon and Virgil traipsed though the door laughing and joking with a couple of other men who had been teaching them how to rope cattle. All in all it was a good day, and apart from that morning it went in a quiet and uneventful style. Alan was confined to a small room just off from the living room where John lay, though soon enough the night fell and the house began to return to its noisy if not chaotic state.

"Hey get down those stairs boy" Chris called towards Alan who had made his way towards the room he had shared with his two brothers the previous night.

"I just want to sleep… I haven't done anything" He moaned.

Chris simply shook her head as she skipped lightly up the steps her feet hardly making any nose on the wooden floor boards as she followed Alan into the room. After a few scraps on the wooden floor, Alan's arms were once again laden with his things as Christina marched him down the hall towards her door. Puzzled looks flooded the watching faces as Alan pushed open a small door next to Christina's room. Alan walked inside as the door was slammed in Christina's face. Her smile never faltered as she bid the faces good night. Short minutes later she could hear the heavy footsteps of the others beginning their accent to their rooms as all fell quiet.


	4. Nerves, Noggins and Nudges

The morning mist swirled around the ranch house, the eerie creaking of the timber porch was heard as a lonely figure exited the house, making the way across the dirt yard in a haphazard fashion. The sun had barely managed to peak over the mountains that broke up the horizon around the ranch house. Although it was around six, the mountains always played with the light making the sun appear later and set sooner leaving the reds, pinks and oranges dancing in the skyline above them. The purple and blue colours of the mountains had a menacing feel to them, almost stern looking as Christina gazed at the surrounding.

It was a little past six in the morning as she cut a path towards another large wooden structure. She never did understand how she could leave the ranch and go work in the city for most of the week. The tranquil silence that made her feel so small and insignificant never failed to take her breath away. It was so beautiful and peaceful, there never were two days that looked the same, she thought looking back at the changing colours of the mountains as the sun rose. The barn was nearly the same size of the ranch house as Chris approached it. The ranch house, never before had she thought it possible a building could hold such a place in her heart and yet it did, she couldn't stop a small hint of a smile curling the corners of her mouth.

Christina opened a smaller door inside the main one, her figure disappeared inside as a pair of eyes watched from the window on the second floor of the house. Flitting over her every step as they peered out for around the corner of the window.

John hadn't slept much that night, his head had been spinning ever since he had shut his eyes. At one point the thought his head might explode but sure as it was the morning, his head was still in tacked, though maybe not fully functioning yet. Scott was still sound asleep snoring in his usual dead sleep while John stood at the window looking out at the tall grass swaying in the breeze. It was then that the lonely figure had caught his attentions. The one figure he couldn't forget about, ever since that first day he was a little ashamed to say that there wasn't a day that went by in which he hadn't considered calling or saying thank you again for about the hundredth time.

His hospital trip had been unexceptionally normal in every way, apart from the subtle touch that rendered him breathless for a moment. Her touch that had such an unexpected effect on him. That moment had played over and over in his head, and each time it was different, but the one constant was her look the unfaltering compassion. Her eyes almost had a burning intensity to them. He rubbed his temples for a moment before sighing heavily. He couldn't hear anyone else stirring around the house as John began to creep his way down stairs and to the front door.

He was amazed at how far he had gone before he heard the gravely voice. His whole body tensed feeling every muscle he had coil ready for action.

"Sneaking out are we son?" Bill asked as John whipped around quickly.

"Urm… I no sir. I just wanted some air, I cant sleep" He stammered rubbing the back of his neck as he glanced towards the wooden structure at the far side of the yard. "I just thought that I'd…"

"Cant sleep huh … you just thought what son?" Chortled Bill raising his brow, "Thinking doesn't seem to be a good idea for ya right now does it… you'd better get before I judge this better"

Bill motioned towards the barn giving John more than enough reason to blush, his quickly flushing red adding more colour to his pale face. With his new found rosy glow, John scurried from the porch towards the building his feet careful to make a little noise as he entered though the door that had been left ajar.

The barn was larger than it had seemed he thought, his eyes scanning down the concrete floor to the far end. Horse stalls ran as far as his eyes could see along each side of the barn, the rectangular shapes leaving a path running from one end of the barn to another, he noticed an open door at the far end and a trailer and tractor parked next to a couple of stalls that was slowly but surely being filled with the soiled bedding from each stall.

Christina stood shoving the bedding into the trailer, singing softly into the handle of a shovel resting in her hands, her body swaying with the beat from the small radio that rested on one of the stall partitions. He saw the occasional switch of hands on the broom, she almost looked professional if it wasn't for the pile of straw she was so happily standing in. John lurked in the shadows of a pile of straw bales just out of view, listening to her voice so soft and gentle. He couldn't believe that she could even sound scary, and how she was a federal agent her voice and the job just didn't seem to fit. Sure her voice it wasn't Madonna singing or even Eva Cassidy but she never missed a note that John could hear.

_If I could turn turn back the hands of time _

_Then my darlin' you'd still be mine _

_If I could turn turn back the hands of time _

_Then my darlin' you'd still be mine_

The floating melody that her voice carried was soothing as John felt a small shiver down his spine. '_God I'm spying on her'_ he thought shaking his head disappointed with himself for his lurking. After berating himself John stepped out into the light, though he was surprised to see only the empty stall and no girl. The same voice was still singing the soft notes gradually turning into a hum. His eyes searched desperately for the face he longed to see, he padded further into the light until he stood by the side of the trailer.

His face was puzzled for a moment, until the damp straw and horse manure hit him square in the face as the voice from the radio had a change of tone. He was startled at first and angry as his fingers clawed at his face pulling clods of … one could only guess what from his face. His lips were pursed and almost white in colour as he wiped his face on his sleeve, leaving smear marks across his cheeks.

Christina didn't notice what she had done at first, her back was to the trailer and John Tracy, though when the soft thud and squeaking of the trailer on its axel didn't materialise, she turned to see where her badly aimed shot had gone. Her eyes ran across the handsome figure of John Tracy, or the now filthy John Tracy who she was sure was about to rip her head off.

She tried to hide her amusement by pursing her own lips; but after a few moments of trying to glare at him her face cracked up. Her smile as light and inviting as ever while John struggled to stay even the slightest bit mad. Her light hearted laughing began tugging away the anger John had while he pulled a stray piece of straw from his hair throwing it into the back of the silver trailer.

"Nice shot… next time you might want to get it in the right place" John sighed sarcastically folding his arms across his chest.

"Who said it wasn't in the right place?" She said trying to stifle her laughing.

John felt her eyes on him the hairs on the back of his neck stood on end as he found himself unusually nervous and shy. Normal John was a solitary person he was far from the joker and people person his brothers were. Perhaps all his time on thunderbird 5 was the problem but he preferred it that way. John saw her happy smile that brought a natural glow to her cheeks, as he found it hard not to gawp. He soon found himself feeling like a young school boy, the nerves and churning in his stomach bringing back old feelings he would have rather forgotten. John unlike his elder brother Scott, didn't have the same ease with women. Yes there was no shortage of them, but he never really could feel at ease around them, and now was no different.

"Do you always welcome guests with a face full of muck?" He teased tapping his foot against the concrete floor the sound echoing though the barn.

John was at a loss, he couldn't think of what to say or even do. He was never nervous, he was an astronaut, a Thunderbird. They had nerves of steel… or that's what John thought. Christina suddenly felt uncomfortable her laughing quickly subsided, the happy smile never faltered from her face as she turned her back on him for a moment. Her small delicate hand turned the volume up on the radio, before a red yard brush was sent flying towards him hitting the side of the trailer with a clatter.

Her action had more of a purpose to it and a hell of a lot more strength behind it, he thought as he narrowly missed a second pile of straw that flew from her shove into the trailer. Eagerly he grabbed the brush and began to sweep the part of the stall that was already partially cleaned.

He laughed nervously as he shoved the sweepings towards her watching them hit her boot covered foot. Christina chuckled softly seeing his not so subtle attempt for easing the awkwardness in the air. John's voice was sweet and almost boyish, she thought as another shovel load hit the trailer. She snagged a quick glance at the blonde working yards from herself. Her eyes were loathed to tear away from the devilishly handsome blonde haired man as John looked back at her.

"Was there anything bothering you this morning? How are you feeling today?" She asked in her happy go lucky tone.

Again that concerned tone of voice she had took him by surprise once again. He smiled and shrugged not knowing how to answer her first question, with out lying through his teeth. His hands rested on top of the brush as he began to speak.

"Nothing bothering me, I just couldn't sleep today, figured I'd come and give you a hand. Bill said you might need one." A voice in his head began screaming at him to come up with a better more believable story however what he said couldn't be taken back. "I feel great, a little sore but nothing that hasn't happened before."

"So do you do this everyday or just when your off work?" He asked trying to over come his sudden flood of nerves.

Being an FBI agent didn't come with out the perks of being able to tell the liars from a group of people, and when and what to say to put people at ease, but then Chris couldn't see a reason to be nervous unless he hadn't mucked out a stall before. Her mind could be finely tuned to other people's lives and worlds however when it came down to her own, she often missed the obvious and what stared her in the face. Christina never really did indulge in her personal life, she preferred to keep things simple and as uncomplicated as possible. She smiled back at John stopping work for a moment.

"When I'm off work, I do what needs done around here. I tend to pick up the dirty work, as I've asked others to do it while I'm at work, its only fair and yes it's an every day job. Though if your uncomfortable you don't have to help. There's plenty of other work to be done?" She offered.

John shook his head immediately putting more effort into sweeping. Did he really look like he didn't want to do the work he wondered, well maybe early morning wasn't his best time of the day and cleaning out horse muck wasn't his best skill, he hadn't even been on a ranch to work before, bar the time that he went riding which managed to land him with a broken leg when the horse bucked, but he could learn how to tackle simple cleaning, and it didn't look too difficult either.

"No… this is fine. I didn't mean for you to think I didn't want to… Its just…" He began his voice trailing off into a whisper.

Christina's attentions were soon caught by the radio as she had an idea. The radio station she was listening to had a great variety of music, and Christina's music taste varied a lot from day to day and often hour to hour. She hated people who were nervous around her, perhaps she was used to the cool and easy going ways around the ranch, or the general knowing what to do at work, the only nerves she had were work related and even then she tried not to show them.

"You know how to do air guitar?" She asked quickly.

John was rather taken aback by her sudden question as he nodded watching her swing her shovel pretending to play several riffs of the song. There was only so long he could keep a straight face as he saw her hair come loose from its clip flying all over the place as she moved with the beat. Deciding that it was hardly the time for standing and laughing John joined in, his hands moving effortlessly through the air as the brush handle acted as his impromptu guitar.

When John had stacks of spare time floating around in space his mind wondered a lot, and he had …stacks of spare time in which to practice certain things. Fortunately or unfortunately air guitar was on of them. Christina laughed as John seemed to loose any nerves he had as he rocked around the floor, hopping on one leg for a while Chris began to sign with the voices blaring from the radio.

_Just take those old records off the shelf_

_I'll sit and listen to em by myself_

_Todays music ain t got the same soul_

_I like that old time rock n roll_

_Dont try to take me to a disco_

_You'll never even get me out on the_

_In ten minutes I'll be late for the door_

_I like that old time rock n roll_

The pair laughed and joked for the next few minutes rocking around the barn doing their best rock and roll struts that were possible. Their paths took them consciously or unconsciously closer and closer together until they were both mere inches away signing into the top of the broom John held.

_Theres only sure way to get me to go_

_Start playing old time rock n roll_

_Call me a relic, call me what you will_

_Say Im old-fashioned, say Im over the hill_

_Today music aint got the same soul_

_I like that old time rock n roll_

The song ended as they were both a little breathless, and their hearts racing from laughing, signing and other things that neither of them were going to admit. The two gazed towards each other theirs eyes locked by some invisible force. Christina was first to break the locked gaze as she went in search of her shovel that lay a couple of feet from them laughing heartily as she went to turn the radio down a fraction.

"Where'd you learn how to do that?" She gasped.

"I sometimes get a lot of time on my hands … so that's the end result." He replied chuckling.

"You're a lot of fun John Tracy! And you gotta show me how work it like that!" She said laughing, "What kinda job do you have where you get a lot of free time?"

John didn't see any harm in telling her the pre ordained companies that all Tracy son's had or were involved in, even Alan though Alan wasn't a thunderbird he was the only brother who didn't have the wings to fly and didn't have a place in one of his fathers companies or projects. John knew his fathers reasons for keeping Alan out of the life, and for the most part they were heart felt, however both John and Scott disagreed, but they never did let Alan hear their constant arguments over the youngest Tracy's place in the family.

"I work for Tracy aerospace. Astronaut" He told her simply.

Well he had to say something and Jeff had set up the companies to benefit the world as well as keep their identity from being discovered, a real company that did exactly what it was designed for. space exploration, planes, and of course the pursuit of science. Her look of amazement made him chuckle, she seemed to be taken by the fact he worked for that particular company.

"You mean… your family are those Tracy's? Lady Penelope never said anything about you being… well Einstein's!" Chris raised her brow shaking her head in disbelief.

"Yeah were THOSE Tracy's" John emphasised as he smirked going back to his sweeping.

Christina stood a little open mouthed at him, as she mumbled something about being the last to know, before going back to shovelling the left over dirt into the trailer. Her eyes gazed at John who had his back to her, the brush the only noise besides the radio playing a slow jam. Smirking Chris grabbed her brown worn cowboy hat from the exhaust of the tractor. Her feet gliding effortlessly across the floor, her hand smacked the hat quickly onto John's head as he spun around.

They stood face to face for a moment as their smiles seemed to last forever. John was taken with her humour, and warm brown eyes that were always filled with compassion. Christina didn't know what it was about John Tracy that seemed to light up her day, every time she saw him it brought a smile to her face and a sparkle to her eyes… or according to Bill and Cookie it did, last night had been more of the parental fatherly talk than usual. John broke their stare this time, tapping Christina on her head the same way she had done to him.

"What's that for?" He asked grinning motioning to the hat that now sat proudly on his head.

"It's a hat for a Space Cowboy!" She chortled walking back to grab her shovel and move onto the next stall.

John smirked as he shook his head rolling his electric blue eyes as he moved with her to the next stall. Their laughing and joking continued with the odd air guitar session sending them into fits of laughter. The usually quick job had taken over two hours to complete. The two were cleaning the last lot of straw up as John grabbed the pitch fork heaving a fresh heap of hay and straw into the stall. His shot was slightly off as Chris found herself covered from head to toe in the fresh bedding.

"Do you usually throw hay onto every girl you meet?" She asked sarcastically pulling a few pieces of straw from her hair.

John smirked dropping the fork where he had found it, as he back towards the door. He could clearly read the mischievous look in Christina's eyes as they raced from the newly cleaned barn. John looked behind him, searching for Chris to see if she had caught up though he failed to keep his footing as he crashed face first into the floor. Before he could even move a pair of hands were cupping his face, her eyes staring into his own.

"John, you ok? I… how's your head?" Chris asked quickly her fingertips gently grazing across his forehead looking for any sign of pain in his face.

She had fallen to her knees next to John, the worry on her own face quickly read and remedied by John as his hands pulled another piece of straw from her messy hair as he nodded.

"I'm fine, and my head is fine… though I think my other hand would get better faster if you were kneeling on it" He said innocently watching the corners of her mouth curl into a smirk.

Christina shot up offering a hand to John as he clambered to his feet, the two chuckling and exchanging subtle jibes towards each other.

"You know what they say…the taller the tree…" She began as John poked her side playfully, eliciting a chuckle from her.

"We'd better go get you some breakfast, all that hard work must have worked up an appetite" She said walking off towards the house. "And you really stink Space cowboy!"

John sniffed his shoulder, the smell nearly making him gag with the fresh air he was breathing providing proof he did stink. Well he did smell there was no getting around it, though he didn't really want to be told he did. John watched Christina walk for a moment, the twitch of her walk fascinating him for a while. He followed Chris into the house as the pair went their separate ways getting cleaned up for a late breakfast. John couldn't seem to shake his new found smile, there was something about the day that seemed to be lighter.

John caught up with his family, they were sleepily appearing out of their room ready for the new day. John's chipper mood began to attract the attention of Scott and Jeff who eyed him curiously though not saying a word to him. The family descended down stairs for breakfast, the cereal, toast and pancakes were laid out on the table as they began to take seats. Before Alan could sit down, Bill had his hand on Alan's shoulder steering him to a seat at the far end of the table. Bill placed himself between Alan and the rest of the family, hoping to avoid a repeat of yesterdays fight and tiff.

The boys began to dig into the breakfast, the silence fell over the room the only sounds were forks and spoons clattering against plates.

"Anyone seen Penny?" Whispered Jeff to Scott.

His whisper was heard by half the tables as shrugs were all he got.

"Think she was called away… she has something to take care of" Scott Replied, as it was the usual reason why Penny disappeared at a moments notice.

It was only a moment later that Christina turned up, strolling into the kitchen and pulling out a chair on the opposite side of Alan. John only stole a glance towards her, smiling to himself while he began to eat several pancakes in front of him. Her clothes hadn't changed that much only the colours seemed to be different, a brown checked shirt that was tucked into some high wasted black jeans coupled with a pair of healed black boots.

"Morning Space cowboy.. Gents!" Chris nodded to them all.

"Morning Ma'am" Scott said smirking as Gordon and Virgil nudged each other.

"How come's your late today Christina?" They challenged.

Bill suddenly decided to make himself look busy drinking coffee. Nearly everyone there thought that Bill's blood was coffee, there was never a day that he didn't drink the stuff. It was always something Christina picked to bug him about, she remember one morning she had yelled they were out of coffee at five AM, and for the rest of that day Bill refused to talk to anyone. It was funny for a while though they soon found coffee was not a good idea to joke about. Christina turned to look towards Virgil and Gordon, the two looked like butter wouldn't melt, however she tilted her head and thought for a moment.

"I'm not… I needed to change or I'd have smelled of horse cra…" She cut off mid sentence forgetting that there were guests at the table.

"Sorry. I smelled funky… so did space cowboy over there" She said smirking pointing gesturing towards John.

Wanting a quick change of both conversation and direction Christina shot her hand towards the toast rack. She didn't see the other hand already reaching for the same piece of toast, Christina's hand brushed John's, their eyes frozen in a gaze with each other. Time seemed to stop as their gaze intensified. Christina couldn't even blink, the breath hitched in her throat with every thought now centred on one man.

John snatched his hand away from the toast, pushing it towards Christina with a smile as his face began to blush. She took a slice as she pushed the toast rack back towards John who made himself busy buttering another piece. The small moment didn't go unnoticed by some at the table however Gordon and Virgil were too busy discussing the finer points of roping cattle to be aware of anything else. Jeff and Scott began their own little conversation about nothing and everything while Alan just glared.

"what are you looking at?" Alan snapped.

Christina looked across at Alan and saw that he was staring at her. Her eyes widened slightly glancing at the boy. Taking a bite from her toast she went back to looking around.

"Nothing, why Alan?" She asked him politely.

"Hm. So who's this almighty boss around here. He cant even be bothered to show his face yet and we've been here a day now."

Alan's tone was harsh and unfeeling, the boy certainly wasn't happy with being there and Christina already knew that he was volatile at the best of time, like a pressure cooker, looking for one tiny reason to blow his lid and then everyone would bare the brunt.

"The Boss as you put it… is sitting next to you" She told him curtly.

Alan looked across to Bill, Jeff could see the twinkle of amusement and joy with the situation flash across Bill's face. There seemed to be a devious side to the man, though Jeff felt that he wouldn't like to cross Bill. There was something about him that made Jeff wary, he couldn't quite put his finger on it but he was sure that no one crossed the man. Even on a good day. Bill smirked as he pointed to Chris.

"Wrong side kid" He said simply tittering to himself as he went over to the sink.

"What… A girl. You're the boss?" Alan asked surprised.

"Yeah, sorry I'm not the guy you seemed to be looking for but I'm the boss around here." She said taking a couple more bites from the toast.

"That explains why this place is so… CRAP. Its run by a girl, ranching…it's a mans job!" Alan jeered.

Jeff could see Bill's hand tighten on the mug he held under the running tap, the blank expression that found its way onto Christina's face and the balled fists that John tried to hide beneath the table made Jeff curse silently to himself. 'Here we go again' Jeff thought looking towards Alan's smug face. Jeff wondered if it was a new tactic that Alan was trying, the end result either being asked to leave or being thrown out. The whole table went quiet with anticipation of another fight. The nervous silence was broken by a small laugh and a scraping of a chair. They watched as Christina rose from her seat.

"If I had a dime every time I heard a boy say that to me. I'd be a billionaire." She told them the blank expression still covering her face.

John snickered along with Gordon and Virgil while Christina began to clear some pots from the table. Her hands moving quickly taking plates and dishes from the table towards the sink. Jeff half expected the pots to be slammed down, but he was pleasantly surprised by the gentle way they were place on the side.

"Yeah well being rich might sort this place out. After all its made of wood, where's the bricks and concrete. One good storm and this place will be blown away." Alan replied hating the fact that his brothers were laughing.

"Look Alan, there's no point in beating around the bush here. This place has stood up in many a storm, and its doing ok still. Its clear you don't like it here… and I'm not too fond of you or your attitude. So how's about a truce?" She suggested turning to face Alan.

"Ha ha ha… yeah right. You know that I am right, so I win this and no truce. I don't make them with girls! Especially the useless ones who cant run a ranch!"

His snippy tone caught Christina off guard. She was used to dealing with jerks at work, and even on occasion at the ranch but not one like Alan... Alan was a kid. Sure she had seen her fair share of kids being the usual goby selves, but it still got to her. Her lips were pursed as she held her hands behind her back, her fingers curling around the granite work top of the kitchen she leant against as she spoke.

"Always has to be one chauvinist in the family… well sorry you feel that way Alan." She said John could hear her slightly defeated tone as she spoke. "There's some cattle counting to be done today, and some riding."

Christina hadn't even finished speaking when she heard a pot smash into the sink. Unlike several of the Tracy's it seemed to be a normal occurrence as Christina didn't flinch at the sound, her eyes glanced towards Bill who seemed to have used a little too much force while washing up. The guilty look Christina had confused Jeff, his eyes straining to pick any other subtle change up.

"Kid, don't you dare start that argument!" Bill's growling tone sent shivers though Christina while Bill glared towards Alan, "And don't you use that tone here girl… EVER!" He snarled before walking out.

His stomping footsteps echoing though the house leaving a silent room of thoughts and looks behind. Alan's smug smile was about the only one in the room. Christina was looking out of a window at the sun, which illuminated the yard and kitchen leaving a glowing light shining onto inanimate objects that suddenly seemed a whole lot more interesting. Jeff could see the beginning of some emotion in Christina's face as John stood up immediately seeing something he didn't want to in her eyes. He had never before so badly wanted to stand with someone before, and his sudden surge on uncontrollable emotions surprised him. He was soon brought back when he felt his fathers hand on his arm calming him somewhat. Christina's suddenly aged face gazed towards him smiling while her eyes held none of their previous sparkle and mischief.

"As I was saying… ah yes. Cattle counting. I think Jeff, John and Scott you three can ride the trail and head out to Little Creak. Gordon, Virgil I heard that your picking up roping rather well … so you can maybe keep going with that today if you like? Alan… you can collect the eggs from the coup around back!"

Christina turned her back on them all, her voice harsh and slightly unfeeling. Her small delicate fingers began picking the pieces of broken pottery from the sink. The china plate that had once been part of a set was now sadly gone, as china didn't seem to last five minutes around the farm with the accidents and general clumsiness of herself mainly.

It didn't take the elder Tracy's long to realise how protective Bill seemed to be of Christina. Jeff had a sense there was more to things that met the eyes, and Bill's less than subtle exit had his mind twisting and turning over the infinite possibilities that could and might be. However with the silence and Alan's growing ego Jeff thought it best to get moving with things. Mere minutes after, Jeff and his sons left the table leaving their thanks for breakfast as they left and headed outside for the day.

* * *

**Ok so what do you all think so far? Please Review and tell me what you think, any and all criticism is welcomed!**


	5. Let's Misbehave

Gordon and Virgil were already disappearing. The two boys were following a group of men leading horses across the yard, chatting and laughing easily amongst themselves by the time Christina walked out onto the porch. It was a crisp morning a slight chill in the air caused her to reach for a pair of leather gloves from her coat.

Her eyes glanced around the busy yard. It was well ordered chaos, pick up trucks were loaded with things for the local town, horses being saddled for the day and of course people milling around. Scott, John and Jeff stood talking and helping Cookie who loading an rusty old Ford F350 Flatbed with a few crates of jams and preserves. She saw that they all had jackets and gloves on apart from Alan who was slouched against the jeep looking as if he was ready to kill someone.

A mutual feeling.

"Hey Alan, lets get some rocket fuel in ya. Basket for the eggs is in the coup. Find what you can and please leave them in the kitchen." She called smiling politely towards the boy.

Despite Bill's reaction inside, Christina just wanted to get on with her day. Something she could see going horribly wrong from the start. It was mostly the way Alan looked. To her it spoke volumes and she'd be foolish to think things would be easy with the boy. Perhaps too many years looking into the faces of the tortured, hurt and guilty, had her analysing others around her however it had saved her butt far more times than she wanted to admit. The kid had some serious issues but until Christina could find some common ground with him, she found it difficult to understand Alan. Criminals she could read like open books, most of the people around her she could read fairly well, but Alan. Alan Tracy was different, Christina couldn't quite put her finger on what was going on, but she knew that behind closed doors lots could happen and there was no doubt that Alan was having some trouble with something.

Pushing the thought from her mind she set to being polite and courteous, after all her manners cost her nothing to start with. Respect was earned and not assumed or granted. Bill had told her that many a time, and to gain respect it took time and patience. She didn't get five paces before Alan strode up to her. He stood directly in her path stopping her dead. Classical intimidation, something the team she worked with used to their advantage many times. Though Alan hardly intimidated her, even when she could see the smug egotistical look he had.

"I'll do what I want, WHEN I'm good and ready woman. Now you go do it… it's a woman's job." He told her the smug look plastered over his every feature.

Christina shrugged and side stepped the boy with a blasé look about her. She was in no good mood to argue her point, it seemed to throw Alan for a moment before he again stood in her path, his face inches away from hers. Alan was hoping for a rise from her, just enough for an outburst. Then his dad would see just the type of person Alan assumed Christina to be, though Alan knew that Chris wasn't your average person to push around. Unlike Gordon and Virgil who had buttons which were easily pressed, Alan didn't know much about the Luca woman. Only what he had found online, which didn't amount up to much. A few new worthy arrests and even with his contacts Christina seemed to be squeaky clean.

Christina found it more and more difficult not to smile at the boy, who seemed to be getting angrier with ever second she stood there smiling. It truly did amuse her as they repeated the same dance for a further three times. Each time a few more eyes were cast in their direction watching the pair square off. She had never been a fan of using work tactics at home, but Alan seemed to require her to keep a calm and cool head on her. Christina looked up at Alan who was now standing on tiptoes to get his point across to her, though being her usual self she didn't take any notice of it. She herself was growing tired of the games; at work it came with the job and she could handle that, it was when she had to put on her game face at home things started to bother her. Three days now and Alan seemed to be unrelenting.

Jeff stood watching his youngest son, heartily embarrassed for a while before Bill trudged up behind him. The two older men watched as the Christina and Alan continued to side step each other. Jeff knew Alan was no stranger to confrontation. It was what happened in a house hold filled with opposing views, personalities and of course testosterone. Six male's on one island, of course the occasional incident happened but Alan always seemed to have the chip on his shoulder. Never willing to leave things be, he had to get the last word or win. It had all started a few years after Alan's grandmothers death, it brought up old feelings with in the family and although the older Tracy boy's had dealt with it, Alan hardly seemed able to move on. Jeff often wondered if it was the lack of a female influence in the young boys life yet he was perfectly fine with Lady Penelope.

"Mr Tracy, can I make a suggestion?" Bill asked, his gravely voice rumbling in a slightly more worried manor than usual.

"Sure" Jeff said, "Shoot?"

Now as Bill looked over towards Alan, he noticed that Christina was wringing her hands behind her back. He had known the girl all her life and she had a few habits that she tried to mask; he had to say she did it with fairly good results but Alan seemed to be brining them back into fashion. With her father being killed in the line of duty before Christina was born, Bill was the one who stepped up slowly becoming more than the friend to both Christina and her mother. Only after her mother's death Bill had found a friend in Cookie, twenty years his junior yet he acted as if he had been around longer than most forty something's.

"Ya'll see her hands?" Bill asked pointing towards her, Jeff nodded watching carefully. "You'd better rescue your boy before he gets a whooping! She ain't going to be calm much longer"

Christina's patience was wearing thin as Alan wouldn't let up, though she did use the better judgement to walk away. She wasn't usually one to back off and leave things, but she knew her own breaking point and she didn't fancy killing the boy due to a lack of sleep and bad morning. She could see the paperwork now, she already had enough of that. Two weeks leave tended to have the forms piling high. Things would have stayed calm a lot longer if Alan hadn't pushed his luck too far.

Christina turned her back on him walking away, cursing herself with every step. Times like there were when she held her own. Though it was here home and she didn't want the hassle that standing her ground would bring. She was far too cranky for that. It was then she felt the hand on her shoulder, the fingers digging into it as the hand tried to pull her back. Christina froze, fear and adrenalin coursed through her. It took ever sane thought to keep her hands at her side and not to raise them towards the boy. She could feel herself screaming inside to react, to rip the hand from her shoulder for what could only be described as need to survive. The training that automatically kicked in had ever fibre of her being tensed and ready to let rip.

Then it happened, faster than anything Alan had seen, he felt Christina's fingers tangle with his own pulling his grip loose. Quick, sharp and rough. The movement was nothing more than painful as Alan yelped. Jeff ran towards Alan but before he could get there Scott was already pulling the boy away. His eldest protecting the youngest. Scott was military trained and he was far stronger than some of his brothers so pulling an adolescent boy a few hundred yards was not much of a challenge. Christina however looked worse than she had before. Scott could see that she had bypassed angry and was well on her way towards full blown crazy. He looked on as she walked towards the barn, hands trembling as they watched her go.

Jeff sighed suddenly relived as Scott dragged Alan towards them tugging at his jacket, Alan tried to escape from Scott's grip but it didn't seem like that would happen any time soon. Jeff had never before felt so embarrassed, and scared in the same moment he was in half a mind to just say enough was enough and leave, perhaps the smart thing to do, but Jeff had no idea what was smart and what wasn't anymore.

"Alan don't you ever do that again" Jeff growled towards the boy.

Alan stopped struggling against his brother. His fathers tone wasn't one he liked or was used to. Alan had always been the baby of the family, the one who everyone looked after and spoilt. However now he could see he was being treated like the child he once was.

"I… dad I… she deserved it. No one talks to me like that. You just let her!" Alan roared as a new found wave of anger arose.

"Don't grab her." Bill grumbled his face stern and unfeeling. "You're lucky she didn't kill you."

Bill wasn't sure who was more surprised, Jeff, Alan or Scott who promptly dropped Alan letting him fall to the floor. Kicking up some dirt Alan sprang to his feet glaring at everyone he could see. Alan began his flood of abuse towards anyone and anything that caught the brunt of his anger. His voice screeching for a good ten minutes, Jeff was left speechless and Scott and John were not far behind. They never knew Alan could be so volatile or even nasty towards others who were not in their family.

"Cant believe you made us come here. It's a hell hole for misfits, idiots and women who think they can go around telling others what to do" Alan continued. "Its about time that she realised she doesn't belong here and neither do we dad. Its not us… What the hells wrong with going to Lady Penelope's house?"

Jeff had no answer for Alan, Lady Penelope had suggested a family vacation to ease the tension. She figured an activity they could do together might help, however Jeff was now regretting the choice. He had grown weary with the boy, unable to stand much more of his attitude. There were times when he had come close to raising a hand to Alan, but he always managed to pull himself away but this time Alan was pushing people too far. Jeff tried to reason with Alan, but the boy was having none of it.

No one had noticed the young women dressed in pink approach the group. Her footsteps were silent, deadly almost to the point of being creepy, though Lady Penelope was soon seen when the noise of the front door to the ranch house opened, creaking eerily again. A few men were leaving as they pulled on coats and hats. Their whispering voices and callous glances only fuelled Jeff's need to calm the situation.

"Now Alan I do not appreciate such language used here." Lady Penelope was using a harsh tone, one that even John and Scott hadn't heard before.

For all the time they had known Lady Penelope, she had been sweet, kind and soft spoken. Then again they had never really pictured her in the role as an Agent. Her lady like manor never really fit with the G-men image they all had. The suits and typically male dominated job hardly seemed something she would work with, though they knew better than anyone appearances were deceiving.

"You should be thankful that Miss Luca let you stay here. You can see she is trying her best to work things out for everyone. I personally would appreciate it if you could keep your… misguided opinions to yourself thank you."

Alan lost the smug smile but his anger was a different story. His ego was quickly deflated by Lady Penelope's curt and to the point tone, there was something in her voice and face that told him not to take his qualms any further with her. Then as if a light switch had been flicked her happy demeanour returned, as Bill offered her his arm. They began to head the same way as Christina before they were stopped.

"You do know she apparently wanted to kill me?!" Alan screeched.

"She would defend herself Alan. I do believe you grabbed her shoulder? I would have done the same if a stranger grabbed my shoulder Alan. You boys all know how I handle myself."

"Lady Penelope… its me.. Alan. I wouldn't hurt you." He said slightly more worried about what people thought of him.

"Christina doesn't know you as I do, and I am doubting I know you at all after that." She said tartly. "How would you feel if Bill grabbed you after an exchange of words? I can say you wouldn't just let him do so, would you Alan?"

Fair point Alan thought to himself, and he had been pretty nasty towards her. However he didn't think he deserved that. Not from Lady Penelope, she wasn't there and since they were friends she would of course side with Christina. Alan couldn't help being angry even now when he had no idea why he was angry, he couldn't stop himself.

"She's crazy… and I want no part of it" Alan replied as he stormed off towards the house.

* * *

Christina was fuming. Her temper had flared and it was all she could do to control herself. Certain things wound her tighter than bow string and Alan was most worthy of being added to her list. She knew she had spent too long at work; the past few weeks had been a nightmare. One case after another. Relentlessly grinding away the hope and faith she had in life itself. She had looked at too many bloody photos of corpses, dealt with too many grieving families, and on top of that been in far too many dangerous situations. The Tracy's were not the only people hiding their real job's from people. Christina herself had her secrets, ones that she couldn't tell anyone for reasons of security and their own safety. It irked her now more than ever, knowing that she had almost hurt Alan because of a reflex, one that the job required her to have.

It was just the job. She told herself over and over. Though now it seemed to be more of a chore, especially since she couldn't stop thinking about what Reese had told her. Turf war, or cleaning house. Either were likely given the mob style gangs that ruled their particular area. Yet there had been some strange happenings for a while now. What ever was going on, it not only had the gangs nervous but law enforcement too. It wasn't a good week when bodies started dropping, it meant that wheels were turning and until you found out why and what. It was worth wearing a bullet proof vest for your entire day.

Her fingers rubbed at her temples. The anger beginning to disappear as she thought of taking off for the day. She had originally planned to finish the cottage nearest to the ranch house. There were three that were as close to finished as they could be. A coat of paint and finishing off the fencing around the place, then they were good to go. Her mind was buzzing when someone cleared their throat behind her. It made Christina jump, she spun herself around and adopted her defensive pose. Hands raised ready to strike out at anything her eyes set upon Lady Penelope and Bill. Immediately her hands dropped to her sides as she took to pacing a few feet before changing direction.

"Missy, you okay?" Bill asked his voice thick with concern.

"Fine.. Totally fine" She replied quickly smiling.

"Don't lie to me Missy." Came the forceful reply.

"Perhaps this conversation is better broached through girl talk. Maybe you could see to the Tracy boys Bill?" Penelope asked motioning him towards the door.

Christina grinned slightly as she saw the heels of Bill's boots dig in, he wasn't going to leave easily though a few soft spoken words from Penny, had the elderly man walking away. Christina began to make her escape, hurrying a few steps towards the door at the far end of the barn however the voice that was used to usurer Bill from the place had her stopping in her tracks.

"A word if you would Christina" She asked.

Having no other choice but to smile, Christina turned to face Lady Penelope. Her pink riding clothes and boots made Chris laugh.

"Sorry Lady P. Reflex… you know?" She said trying to offer an explanation.

"It does not fool me Christina. Do not let yourself get swept up in the job. Switch off for a while… it helps with the.. Reflex's"

Christina rolled her eyes knowing exactly what the woman was getting at.

"Switch off. Easier said than done Lady P."

"How about spending a day with the boys?" She suggested.

By the look Lady Penelope gave, Christina doubted she had a choice in the matter. Simply nodding and agreeing Christina took a deep breath, watching as Lady Penelope disappeared outside into the sun light.

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**At last another chapter, my apologies for taking so long. However I hope you all enjoy!**


	6. Shotgun Rider

Christina felt the soft breeze on her face as she trudged outside. The happy smile plastered on her face held non of its previous allure and mischief. To a casual passer-by it would mask the range of emotions that clearly showed in her eyes; however in the short time John knew her it was clear to see it for what it was. A well prepared mask, designed to keep unwanted questions at bay while providing a shield of sorts. The more he pondered about it the more obvious it became to him. The happy go lucky Christina he had seen before breakfast was gone, only a façade was left.

The yard was turning into a hive of action. Men moved quickly to get things done, horses were saddled as needed and soon the whole Tracy Family, bar one, were raring to go. Alan stood glaring from the porch. His eyes as piercing as darts angling towards anything and everything. John found himself ignoring his brother and had settled himself onto the horse, his eyes gazing towards Christina again. He couldn't have imagined anyone more beautiful; the way the morning sun caught her features giving her a luminance glow, her elegant posture on the horse, the way her chocolate brown eyes showed far more care and attention than he had seen in many years.

He followed her gazed towards a tan coloured horse pacing in a paddock. He watched it skit when anyone made so much as a move towards it. He was jolted back when his horse began to move of its own accord. Bill had appeared in front of the group, Jeff and Scott were more than happy to talk with Bill but John couldn't catch what the conversation was. The soft breeze carried their voices away leaving him with small snippets of things that made no sense. Something about a cattle trough and mustangs. Nothing that really had John straining to hear what was going on.

John was left with his own mind for company. He mulled over Thunderbird five, a place that he found comforting and less stressful. Yet being around family had its plus side, the conversations with real people and not just the computer screen; on many days it was the only thing he wanted yet sometimes it was the last thing he wanted. People had a way of breaking the silence in his head, a fragile state that where family was concerned it didn't exist. Only when he lost the hustle and often frantic movements of family did he find his own head a solitary place to be. It took him a few days normally to get back to what he was accustomed to, and Thunderbird five provided the best place for it. John was lost in thought as he barely noticed Christina draw up beside him, her smile far more genuine than it had been.

"About earlier. Alan was way out of line… I'm sorry about the hassle. He isn't usually like this with people" John blurted smiling awkwardly.

"Don't apologise. You get used to attitude" She replied in an equally awkward tone. "I'm sorry too about grabbing his hand like that. It was unprofessional and wont happen again."

"Get used to attidude?" He queried frowning wondering who would even have the front to talk like Alan had towards her.

"Not everyone in the world is accepting…" She said chuckling. "I'm used to getting attitude, just not so much around here. Guess that's gonna change soon though"

"Alan can be a handful, he's just going through a phase, or I hope he is" John said almost exasperatedly gripping the saddle horn.

Christina didn't take long to see him change from reasonably calm to tense. She made a mental note to keep Alan from the general topic of conversation for a while. Taking a breath she massaged the back of her neck for a moment before smiling towards John again. Something about him made her smile, it was a strange feeling yet a feeling none the less.

"You know, you might wanna let go of that horn, John." Christina chuckled, leaning across to him she pulled his hand from the saddle horn. "Riding a horse is like making love, you got to relax and enjoy it."

John was almost speechless, more so by the feeling of warmth that had grasped his hand than her words; yet the two were in close competition. He saw her settle back again, completely relaxed and calm something John now wasn't. He felt self conscious and now uncomfortable as he tried to think of something witty and intelligent to say.

"I have a feeling that you and I enjoy those activities in really different ways." John smirked seeing Christina shake her head.

"Perhaps we do, but … you aint riding a Harley Davidson."

John looked at the way he was sat, he was hunched over a little which did surprise him but then again the horse ridding lessons he had were at the ripe old age of eight. He wasn't what you would call a seasoned rider.

"Ok genius, how should I be riding?" He asked a little testily than he had first planned.

"RELAX!" She bellowed laughing as Scott and Jeff turned to smile at her.

John felt himself turn a shade of pink before his father and brother turned back again. Christina reached over to John, pushing him backwards until he was straight up and down in the saddle. Even as she turned and pushed him into the correct position she could feel him tense. With ever movement she could see and feel that he wasn't relaxed or even close to it. From a slow if not leisurely pace John saw his father and Scott set off at a trot. As if lightening had struck John found himself being jolted as his horse seemed to want to catch the others.

"Push your self up and down, with the horse" Bill called as the speed increased.

John found himself being thrown in every direction, he couldn't get a rhythm going and bounced around the saddle. He could hear a childish screaming as he wondered who it was. The fact soon became clear that he was screaming, something he didn't realise he was doing until Christina again appeared at his side, slowing the horse with an extremely worried look on her face. It was ten times worse than the one he had seen earlier but it took a while for him to understand her worry.

"John… what happened? You ok?" She asked with a clear concerned tone.

"F.. f..fine, its fine" He stuttered knowing he wasn't going to be sitting down comfortably for a week. "Just didn't know what to… erm, you know, I couldn't. I didn't know what to do"

There he said it, the one thing that his brother and father had excelled at, John found more difficult than a space mission. He had broken his leg on a horse and he wasn't in a hurry to do that again. He closed his eyes as the horse came to a stop, he could hear the laughing now. The snickering comments that he couldn't ride a horse as well as everyone else there. Yet after a few minutes of dreading the reaction John opened his eyes. There wasn't any laughing just four faces gazing at him.

"Not everyone is a seasoned rider. I've done it all my life, same with Bill and your dad and Scott here seemed to have more practice." Christina said optimistically smiling again.

"I.. ugh." He began as he was hushed.

"So, you stand up in the saddle and sit down. Not too high or you wont find the rhythm. Try it" Christina said mimicking the general motion.

John watched her effortlessly rise and fall in the saddle before copying the motion. Before long he was cheered by over enthusiastic if not a hint of sarcastic clapping as they set off again. Even without the childish screaming John still didn't feel at home or even comfy but then again it wasn't everyone's skill. Slightly embarrassed John tried to avoid conversation, he found it odd that the silence wasn't awkward. He expected that much, or at least for Christina to seek some kind of exchange, however they both seemed content to ride side by side in a comfortable silence. Neither feeling the need to speak even as Bill announced their arrival.

All John saw was a ledge, a ledge with a very step bank looking over several hundred acres of grassland. Cattle dotted the landscape. John had seen nothing like it, there was a vast difference from the scenery around the ranch house to where they were. The mountains that seemed so far away now towered over them, it was breath taking. The sun cast shadows from the trees providing odd patches of shade in the mostly open land. As soon as John cast his gaze from the sight before him, he saw that Scott and Jeff had left and were heading down a steep track that lead to the foot of the incline.

"Are we going too?" He asked glancing over towards Christina.

She seemed to be just as lost looking out over the landscape. He noticed a certain look about her, so meltingly seductive, despite the clear absentmindedness; to John she looked beautiful. The corners of his mouth curled in a satisfactory smile, it was odd the way one look at her could make him feel as if the world didn't matter. Sighing he wondered if she heard his question seeing that she made no move to answer it.

"Christina.. Did you hear me?" He asked.

"What… erm yea" She replied, "We're gonna take a different route down there."

Great John thought, now he was being treated like the baby of the family. Poor John cant ride a horse to sufficient standards, so he gets the different route. He felt like attempting the route the others had taken but on second look, it was that much more daunting. John wanted to kick himself, it was bad enough that he had lost it before yet now he was taking a different track. Embarrassment just didn't cover it. It was almost like trying to impress that elusive girl at school, trying everything you knew and for some reason or another, you only seemed to make a fool of yourself. Messing up time and time again.

"I hope you don't mind… I really don't like that route." Christina piped up.

Certain things Christina was attuned to, emotions and feelings were something she could read with relative ease. It made her job a lot easier and of course when you could read people, things just had a better flow. She could see his embarrassment though John didn't appear to hide it.

"Sorry about this, you really don't have to go with me, just point and I'll meet you down there" John said sighing heavily.

"Seriously John, I hate that root. There are few things I'll shy away from but hell if I have a choice, I'm always going this way." She told him, "Fallen down that incline too many times… far too many bruises."

John couldn't imagine Christina falling from her horse, she seemed so relaxed and comfortable. Then again he never thought he would scream like a girl yet he had. He was glad as the horse seemed to know where to go, the silence returned but instead of the comfortable silence it was unnerving. They each shot glances towards each other, smiling and blushing if the other caught them. The detour seemed to take forever as they slowly edged further and further away from the cattle and the group.

"John, it's a small slope so just lean back slowly and hold the reins." Christina chimed smiling softly towards him. "If you have any trouble, I'm right behind you ok?"

Before John had chance to reply the horse was moving again. John did as he was told leaning back as he closed his eyes. He didn't want to see the ground when he fell off the horse. Nor did he want to hear the laughing, but not seeing where he was going seemed the better option to him. He almost felt sea sick as the journey seemed to take forever.

Christina kept a watch on John, the last thing she wanted was for him to be hurt and falling off a horse with John's track record, it really did make things slightly more dangerous. She seemed to only see the man when he was injured. Christina thought back to the man she had see resting against the tree with the blood pouring from a head wound. The memory didn't quite go with the angelic face she saw. Even with his eyes screwed shut she couldn't help but smile, however after a few moments she took pity on him. They had reached level ground a few minutes ago and even then John didn't seem to notice.

"Hey, Space cowboy… the world's your oyster now" She said smiling towards him, she reached her hand across touching his arm softly as she watched him open his eyes tentatively.

Hearing her voice soon followed by her touch John hardly wanted to open his eyes. If he did it would all be gone. Reluctantly he opened his eyes, their short adjustment from total darkness to bright sunshine and a smile that he couldn't get tired of seeing. John snapped his head around expecting to see another steep banking however all he saw was a small slope.

"That's where we've been right?" He asked wanting to make sure.

Christina nodded grinning again. John made her laugh perhaps his inexperience or just general personality but there was something about the man that was unmistakeable.

"Yeah, and that" She said pointing towards a heard of cattle being driven towards three penned gates, "Is where we're going. The cattle are driven through those green gates, so all you do is count the heads. Simple"

"Simple" John replied smiling again as the horse jostled on.

He made a glance towards a track, probably the one they would have gone down but looking at the sharp turns and dust that was still settling, he was more than glad Christina had chosen the easier route.

"Come on ladies, we don't got all day!" Bill yelled as Christina seemed to pick up the pace immediately.

John who decided to be ready this time rose and fell like before but this time he had more success. He followed Christina towards a gate watching she as she slid from the horse. He tried to make the same moved however his foot caught in the stirrup. He slammed shoulder first into the ground. Just like before Christina appeared like lightening, her quick fingers making fast work of untangling foot from stirrup before she again knelt down next to him.

"Do I need to ask?" She said.

John could see the corners of her mouth curling with smile, though as soon as he grumbled some words about a horse not being right, and the place was out to get him. Her smile turned to laughter while a hand was thrown his way. He didn't need it to stand but took it anyway.

"Count the heads." Bill said sharply standing by the gate.

The three gates were separated by fences that ran the width of the pasture. The wooden structures didn't seem strong enough to stop anything. By the time Christina had settled herself onto the fence perched like Bill on the top run.

"Ten cattle" John said looking towards Christina who was grinning like the cat who had the cream.

"Oooh there's way more than ten in this heard… its twelve now" She said sarcastically while John noticed the two he had missed.

John made a quick glanced towards his father and Scott who were counting at the far side. John couldn't see anyone on the middle gate yet with the dust that was being kicked up it wouldn't surprise him if they went unnoticed. The random numbers being shouted didn't help his concentration any as soon sixty four turned into fifty three.

"Dad how can we concentrate when people keep yelling?" Scott asked testily.

"Son, you really need to take a joke.. Its deliberate, look at Bill a minute, then Christina tell me what you see?" Jeff said keeping his concentration mostly on the cattle passing by.

"They both look …busy?" Scott couldn't understand with what, as Bill was sat with an apple half eaten and Christina just seemed to be concentrating.

"They are counting the cattle at all gates, they yell the numbers to put us off."

Scott was more determined now to get the right number, he made sure to at least make a good effort with it. Even from across two gates John could tell Scott was making more of an effort, but he couldn't understand why he started yelling random numbers too. It went on for two more hours before no more cattle were visible only the dust they kicked up which slowly began to settle.

"So tell me. What's the tally?" Bill asked glancing towards the Tracy's.

"Dad and I got one hundred and eighty four" Scott bellowed smugly.

"Close… very close, one hundred and eighty seven" Christina added chuckling.

"One hundred and forty" John said waiting for the right number to be said.

"We have a winner. Only two out kid, forty two!" Bill said seeming to smile towards him. "Lets head out men"

* * *

**Again hope you enjoy!**


	7. Here Comes The Sun

Thunder cracked over head. The lightening that followed illuminated Christina's room casting shadows over everything. She pulled the duvet over her head cowering beneath it, jumping at ever loud crash and bang. The window panes shook as rain hammered savagely against them. It was unfortunately a regular occurrence, storms were a part of life and they always sounded worse in the night. The house creaked and groaned under with the wind, every sound had Christina wide awake. She listened for the slightest sound of alarm or distress, a habit picked up from childhood but one that never went away. She tossed and turned for a while, the storm had only begun an hour ago and was bound to be over soon. How it didn't change anything in her mind. The windows still rattled, the wind howled and everything creaked. It sent unwelcome shivers through her as the duvet didn't muffle the noise as well as she hoped. Christina decided to retreat down stairs, at least then she could see what was going on, rather than imagining it from the comfort of her room. She pulled a blanket from her bed wrapping it around her shoulders before she crept down the wooden stairs. In between the crashing of thunder she had no need to tiptoe but she carried on just the same.

John sat in his room staring out into the night; he sat quietly counting the seconds deciding that the storm wasn't too far away. He enjoyed a good thunderstorm. After all when he lived in space for a month at a time he appreciated the weather, the variety it gave and of course the noise that always managed to humble him. There was no greater danger than Mother Nature and she was a force to be reckoned with on a good day. Scott was still sound asleep as he guessed was the rest of the family; tropical storms were far worse though John could see by the water running in small rivers across the illuminated ground that it was a big one. It wasn't long before John realised he couldn't sleep, he wondered if it was the noise he wasn't used to or just the strange place. Even the fact his shoulder had a dull ache where he had not so gracefully fallen onto it earlier that day. Whichever it was he decided a small walk would maybe help. The house was in total darkness as John pushed his door open, the hallway only lit when lightening shone through a few windows. Silently John moved along the hallway and down the wooden stairs. The wood seemed to creak with ever step he took, nothing loud but noticeable none the less.

Christina had pulled a bottle of bourbon from a cupboard; the glass decanter gripped tightly in one hand and a small glass in the other Christina curled up in the corner of the sofa in the living room. Pouring a glass she let the bottle rest the coffee table, before she carefully balanced the glass on her knee. She peered at the brown liquid for a while; watching as it ripped with every movement of hers. She hadn't bothered to turn any lights on; after all she figured she would be the only one awake. Bill and cookie weren't often bothered by storms and in such Christina often had the house to herself. Her gaze turned to the window, watching small droplets of water running down the glass pane. Storms were one of her greatest fears. Stupid when she actually thought about it. A grown woman frightened by something that was outside, something that a small child might be scared of. She rolled her eyes at the thought cursing herself for even being scared; she pulled the blanket tightly around herself.

John found himself staring into the darkness, he half thought about taking a walk outside but as another rolling crash of thunder sounded he didn't fancy his chances. Glancing around the kitchen John paced through into the living room. He saw Christina staring out the window.

"Hey"

He said softly smiling towards her. She seemed to be a million miles away, much like the look she had before as she stared out over the valley. Though to John she seemed for fearful than before, something about the way she was curled up almost like Alan had done when he had nightmares as a kid.

"Hey John" She said absentmindedly, "Urm, everything ok? You need anything?"

It wasn't often that Christina spoke to people in the middle of the night, let alone someone at the house. After all work required an early start so not many were awake. She smiled heartily back towards him waving a hand for him to take a seat.

"No, it's just the storm. I couldn't sleep. What about you though?"

John motioned to the glass balanced on her knee. He could smell the alcohol; it stung his nose a little. He noticed the uncapped glass bottle on the table as he dropped the glass top back onto it.

"Couldn't sleep either." She said before looking towards the glass. "I wasn't going to drink it, but you're welcome to"

Christina wasn't much of a drinker, there were many times when she just poured a glass, sat and looked at it before pouring it back into the bottle. She watched John shake his head as he dropped onto the sofa. John sat and stared out at the rain, his hand ran up to his shoulder and neck rubbing it as he rolled his shoulder.

"Its bothering you isn't it?" Christina said softly.

John shook his head choosing to stare out of the window again.

"Aww come on Space Cowboy. You look like you're in pain. It hurts along here right?" She asked running a finger down her shoulder.

John nodded tilting his head to one side, he pointed out where. It wasn't so bad just a dull ache, he had worse from re-entry in Thunderbird three with Gordon, he was thinking about that for a moment when he heard her clap her hands together.

"Turn round a little, I'll try and work some magic"

John chuckled before he turned the way she asked. He sat with his back to her suddenly wishing he had put up a little more resistance. The easy conversation was gone and now John felt awkward, his self-conscious thought soon disappeared when he felt her fingers massage his shoulder. After a minute all he felt was the pressure on hands kneading the flesh of his shoulder. Even though the dull ache was ever present it felt good. John let his head roll back as he let out a low groan. He felt the lack of connection as Christina quickly pulled her hands back. She jumped slightly started by the thunder that seemed louder than ever.

"Sorry, I..." She stuttered.

She turned her attention to a few shadows that were cast on the wall, the faint hint of a blush causing a child like rosy glow in cheeks. John gulped before they returned to separate ends of the sofa. Neither one wanting to look the other in the eye or anywhere near.

"You did work magic." John replied smiling as he rolled his shoulder again.

The dull ache of before was almost gone as he stared at Christina for a moment.

"It was a pretty stupid thing falling I guess. Bet you had a good laugh though?"

Horses just didn't seem to get along with him; no matter how much he wanted to be good at it he never really seemed to get the hang of it. John saw her trying to hide an obvious smile and laugh. Something about her laugh made him feel at home, in its simplicity it was nothing more than noise but it was a comforting noise.

"Amusing yes, seeing you hurt not so much. After all I've seen you with a concussion... you're one grouchy guy." She teased.

Christina liked John, the ease in talking with him and of course his smile. Her mind wondered for a moment, it was easy not to think about a storm when he was there. He held her attention fully and even if he wasn't the only one there she was sure he would still have her attention.

"Am not, you try being poked... you don't have a good bedside manor either."

"What did you want me to do? Give you a rose every time I had to wake you. Try not falling asleep... or do you snooze a lot?" she asked grinning.

John was about to answer when a deafening crash of thunder shook the house. He noticed Christina wince at the noise, her hands pulling the blanket tighter around herself. He chewed on his lip for a moment shuffling back into the arm of the sofa.

"Is there usually storms like this?" He asked.

John knew you had storms everywhere; it was just another kind of weather though why storms appeared to bother Christina intrigued him. A curiosity that wouldn't satisfy until he understood the whys. He never liked not getting the answer; that was what he liked about space. There was so much to learn, so many new things to discover and the why's he could answer or research and then have the answers. It was different with people, the why... it rarely was understood.

"Yeah, they come and go. Nothing to worry about though this place stands up to them." She replied remembering what Alan had said about the wooden structure.

"I'm not worried, just wondering why you're jumpy."

John couldn't dance around the subject; his curiosity got the better of him. Perhaps not as tactful as he might have liked, John rarely had time to ask things delicately. When his brothers depended on him to have real answers, to the point was the only way.

"I'm not."

John rolled his eyes staring at her all but innocent face. Her eyes were focused and demeanour was anything but relaxed. It was the way Gordon and Virgil looked after having a prank backfire. The 'it wasn't us honest' look that never failed to be a crowd pleaser.

"Yeah, and I'm James Brown." He replied sarcastically grinning at her.

His grinning face was met with a stern glare; it was a warning if nothing else. John knew to leave alone. He watched her shuffled uncomfortably for a moment before she stood up; the blanket hanging loosely around her shoulders.

"Night Space Cowboy"

Christina smiled for a brief second before walking towards the stairs. John had never moved so fast before. He bolted after her in a semi maddened state. His flustered self almost tripped over his own feet as he reached a hand out towards her.

"Sorry I shouldn't have asked." He spluttered awkwardly, "Would you mind staying with me a while? It's kinda dark and stormy and I can't sleep. My shoulder hurts and well whatever you did worked but it's still sore so please stay?"

John didn't know why he had asked, it just sort of flowed from him. His brain didn't seem to edit anything while he spoke. It hardly took a second before he regretted what he said realising just how desperate it sounded.

"Only if you want"

He added quickly returning to the sofa where he sat dreading each tick of the clocks hand. Seconds turned into minutes and minutes felt like hours. Christina stood stunned; she hadn't quite expected his sudden deluge of words. Let alone a request to stay. She was torn between making a speedy exit upstairs or staying a little while longer. Each had their plus points and each had the bad sides yet the more she thought about it the more complicated staying or leaving became.

"Let's have another look at your shoulder then." She said softly.

Once again John turned his back to her, the comforting feeling of her hands skilfully kneading the flesh of his shoulder. He felt her hands move cautiously at first, their soft movements confined to one area before gradually venturing further. John bit his tongue several times never letting more than an appreciative sigh escape his lips. He knew he'd made the mistake last time and it wasn't one he wanted to make again. The loud crash of thunder over head didn't cause a flinch from Christina, John had expected such a reaction but nothing came of it. She seemed to content with her actions to bother hearing it.

"You really should make a career out of this. Your good" he said laughing quietly.

John turned to face her, the darkened room cast mysterious shadows over their faces, and their eyes never left one another as John leaned towards her. Christina felt her heart beat increase almost matching the beat of the rain. Faces inches apart and the world seemed to stop. The rain still hammered against the windows but a sharp knock at the door caused a frightened gasp from both of them, they pulled away from each other like scalded cats. Christina was first to leap from the sofa, her feet padding cautiously towards the front door in a state of bewilderment. She looked through the peep hole in the door; they didn't get many visitors in the late hours, at least not the friendly kind. John was surprised when Christina pulled the front door open, he didn't know what to expect but the sight that met his eyes caused a sudden lack of oxygen with in him.

"Duke call before you turn up. You nearly frightened us to death in here" Christina jested.

At just over six foot one, Duke was buffed to a T, with dark brown eyes, no hair; only a shiny bald symbol that looked like a Mr Sheen advert. He had the wholesome good looks of a college football player, crossed with a navy seal. His chocolate brown skin contrasted nicely with his shirt that was stretched tightly across his chest, leaving nothing to the imagination muscle wise. His arms were like steel cables protruding from a khaki green v necked t-shirt, the unmistakeable law enforcement badge and gun hung from a thick brown belt that was threaded through the belt loops of dark blue jeans.

At first glance John would have said he was military, not the kind to be messed with. The sort that you asked how high they wanted you to jump. Standing in the living room he eyed the man cautiously, he was far too tall to argue with and Christina looked tiny in comparison.

"Reese said to check on you, we know what you're like when we got weather like this." Came the fourth right reply, his clear brown eyes were very serious but respectful as he spoke.

"For the love of all that's holy, I don't need a damn baby sitter. Especially not at this time of night" She snapped harshly.

Duke motioned to where John was standing, glaring with eyes that suddenly lost their respect. "Well I can see that. You want me to kick him out?"

The lack of breathing was suddenly making John dizzy and the threat of broken bones had him retreating towards a chair. Christina smiled reassuringly towards John before grinning in the same mischievous way he had seen earlier.

"I think he's a big enough hazard to himself these days. I'll pass thanks. John this is Duke. Duke this is John." She said glancing between both men.

John was thankful for the pass but he didn't fail to hear the playfulness in her words. He watched Duke leap from behind the sofa, landing roughly on in as the sofa groaned with the strain. He nodded towards John before staring at him.

"So what's happening here? You two having a quick session of midnight make out?"

Duke watched their faces, John was more stunned that he would assume something like that, yet Christina seemed unphased by his comment.

"Get lost Duke, what you here for? I don't need the babysitter so hit the road unless you got something?"

Christina could see something wasn't right with Duke, for one he seemed more than content to joke around and he hadn't yet stated a valid reason to be there. Work usual took precedence over everything, and she hadn't failed to notice the gun and badge that were clipped in their usual spots along his belt. Thing's never really changed with Duke, he was a man of habit when it came to those two particular items. She hadn't seen a day when his gun or badge was in a different place, always on the belt never around the neck or even clipped to a jacket.

"Oh I got something. We need a slight hypothetical work related talk?" Duke asked glancing towards John again.

The blonde haired man was harmless enough in Dukes opinion, although he could not say much about the man. Duke never really spoke to him or even wanted to, it was his way. Unless he knew the person well and had dealt with them before Duke didn't bother.

"I'll go find something in the kitchen... nice meeting you Duke."

Christina watched John hurriedly leave the living room, she heard him open the fridge door as she took up a seat on what was left of the sofa.

"Out with it?" she demanded sighing heavily.

"Reese said he filled you in on his turf war Idea. Mendez crew and Black Adders. That's now gone, it's the story on the street but we know one man is pulling strings" Duke spoke slowly and deliberately as he pulled a file from under his arm.

"Agent Tyler was killed today. Organised crime thinks he got too close to the Mendez Crew, but they are running scared on this. Five agents killed in the last few months, that's not counting LEO's, under covers and everyone else who works on this." He paused for a moment gathering his thoughts, "One person is behind all this; alias Ghost. There's not a whisper of him anywhere, no one's talking, two major crime families are quaking with fear, and we think Tyler inadvertently stumbled across this Ghost character. The field office is on threat level red, which means they call us in; Reese wants you to take a look at this file, see if you can spot something. Fresh eyes and all."

Christina sat there stunned for a moment, their field office wasn't a small one yet most agents knew of one another. She could hardly believe that someone in the office above them wouldn't be seen around anymore. Taking a quick breath she thumbed quickly through the file, arrest reports, surveillance reports. Everything that was tied to an everyday case.

"First the Adders... then Mendez Crew... now Tyler. Five dead isn't good. Something big going on, Duke. What could one man hope to accomplish by this? It makes no sense to me"

She was highly disappointed that things didn't click straight away. So many threads were being weaved and no one really knew the pattern or colours. It was an endless jigsaw with no end in sight.

"Reese is convinced they're mutually exclusive. Everything will fit together once we see the connection" Duke said, "Several Agents have the 'I know its bad bug' and the eighteen open cases that we had are now sidelined until we can solve this. The A.G, Director of the F.B.I and D.O.J has put in a personal request, for this team. They want it cleared up and fast, so we have the any means necessary leeway."

They both rolled their eyes that that statement, the amount of times Reese and his team had been called in to investigate on behalf of the A.G was too difficult to count. However Christina knew if three agencies were asking for their team, it wasn't going to be a standard case. Duke saw Christina puzzle over things, it was a common look she wore when working.

"You once told me that we ain't working hard enough if nobody's trying to kill us." He murmured.

"I said that? Really? Did it make you feel better?" She replied sceptically.

"No, but at least we know we're working hard." Duke said as he stood up.

"I've got to get back to the office, we don't have time to sleep anymore" He mumbled as he made a bee line towards the door. "If he gives you trouble, send him my way" He said just loud enough for John to hear.

"Bye Duke, and don't worry. I won't send anyone your way; I'd pity them too much"

With that Duke shut the door, disappearing back into the storm. John poked his head around the corner a little worried as to his life span.

"Isn't he a bundle of fun" John scoffed glancing towards Christina.

Her blanket was no longer wrapped around her shoulders. He marvelled at her for a short moment before casting his gaze towards the file that was gripped tightly in her hand.

"Anything I can help with?" He asked curiously.

Christina eyed him with slight surprise, she never thought John as the helping with work type. Not that she could openly discuss anything but doubtless a none agent view on things might be helpful. She watched him for a moment, his innocent look almost melting her to a puddle.

"Afraid not, you and the Tracy family isn't going anywhere near this, the people who work on it have a habit of turning up dead." Christina wasn't going to let anyone who didn't have to see the case near it; she was assuming it would be safer. "I think I might head upstairs for the night."

"Urm sure. Thanks for fixing the shoulder, your hands do work magic" He replied smiling sheepishly. "I think I might as well head up too. No sense in staying awake without you"

John stopped opening his mouth quickly then shutting it. He shrugged the words off as he took a much needed relaxing breath.

"Night John" She said smiling sweetly towards him, "I could always call Duke back here if you want company?"

At that she took off at a run towards the stairs, John tagged along as she reached the top. Their clattering footsteps were masked by the thundering storm. Christina was caught by surprise as she felt an arm wrap itself around her waist. She turned around quickly finding herself nose to nose with John. Her heart felt like it might leap from her chest as they both had a starry eyed gaze, standing there in the dull light of the hallway. Christina raised a hand, softly touching John's cheek before brushing her lips quickly against the other.

"Night Space Cowboy. Sweet dreams"

She said before she danced from his grasp giggling. Christina almost skipped to her room; the bad news Duke had left twinned with the thought of John Tracy circled her mind like a hungry animal searching for scraps. She felt numb as she closed the door, shutting out the very person she was thinking about.

John stood flabbergasted at the top of the stairs; his fingers traced over the spot Christina had kissed him. He thought for a moment he could still feel her lips there as he wondered back into his room. The snoring of Scott seemed quiet as he focused on what he had done, a simple arm around the waist. A game of tag had ended with his head spinning and the impression that he could actually have feelings for someone.


	8. Don't Tell Me

Scott woke early the next morning; he had slept through the storm soundly which wasn't unusual for him. Tracy Island had some of the worst storms but even by that standard, last night's weather must have been a bad. He opened his eyes to the sight of a still and quiet room. No sun shone through the window and the hammering of rain against the glass slowly rose in its intensity as he came too from his slumber. He sighed casting a weary glance towards a clock that read seven AM. Just another day he thought to himself, which was until he cast his gaze towards a chair in the corner of the room. John sat there rocking backwards and forwards as he stared out at the rain and gloom of the day. His brother seemed pensive, thoughtful and brooding over something. A familiar sight where John was concerned, if it wasn't an update to Thunderbird five it was some way of discovering another galaxy or star.

"How long have you been up" Scott asked quizzically eyeing his brother.

"A few hours" John replied quickly.

Scott looked worried for a moment before he crawled to the end of his bed sighing as he rubbed at his sleep filled eyes. There were only two reasons that John didn't sleep, one was illness and the other... that was trouble. Even the stars didn't keep him awake for hours.

"Let's hear it then?" He mumbled getting ready for a long story.

John glared at Scott for a moment, at times he wondered if they were brothers at all but then no one really knew him better than Scott. They both seemed to understand one another and could just look and see what was wrong or bothering the other. It was funny at times, even their father had said they were polar opposites but shared more than he could ever understand. Taking a breath John's weary eyes met with Scott, the fresh faced man never seemed to need more than a few hours but they all knew Scott could sleep for weeks if he was allowed.

"There's nothing to hear Scott." He snapped, "What makes you think you'd understand anyway. You're the serial bachelor of the family."

Scott's eyes flared at the words, he knew exactly what was wrong and it didn't take him long to jump to the many conclusions that were possible. His mind was soaring through the various scenarios faster than Thunderbird one could fly.

"You slept with her? She's pregnant? John do you know what you've done!" He bellowed jumping from the end of the bed as he began to pace, running a hand through his hair before he turned to face John.

"We choose carefully John; we have one chance to find the right girl. You just go and ruin it all... dad won't ever let us leave the island again now. You have no idea what you've done" He ranted getting red faced as he balled his fists.

John couldn't believe what he was hearing, or what Scott had assumed he had done. More than anyone John knew that keeping the Thunderbirds a secret was important and the more Scott made the wrong assumptions the more the blonde didn't know what to say. For one when did he assume that John actually had the time to get a girl pregnant up on thunderbird five was beyond him, and then the spouting of the unwritten code that appeared to have been formed over the years well, they all knew it by heart. Sighing and deciding to take the worst of Scott's assumptions and lay them to rest John spoke.

"You think I've slept with her? Scott your way off base here, just listen to what you're saying... and who you're shouting at." John said as calmly as he could. "How can I get anyone pregnant from space? And this vacation is the second time I've even seen her. How fast do you think I work?"

Scott stopped dead in his tracks; of course this was John he was talking about. Not Gordon and Virgil who did every possible thing wrong. Taking a breath Scott looked at his perplex brother and nodded a short apology before grinning. It was funny how he was now assuming the worst of everyone, though where Alan had lead them the last few days it was more of a precaution to think the worst as anything better would be a surprise.

"Sorry bro, its Alan you know... always making me think the worst." He said laughing a little, "Yeah you got a point. You're really not that fast at working your groove"

Calming down a little Scott parked himself back on the end of the bed rubbing his forehead as he chuckled about his mistake. He gazed at John for a moment; the same lost and pondering look lingered on his face though now it had a more embarrassed tinge to it.

"You ever think about women?" John asked as his eyes fell towards the wooden floor.

"Do I ever? I am male John... course I think of them. So let's cut the crap here... what's got you all worked up? Or should I say whom?"

John laughed slightly rubbing a hand across the back of his neck nervously. He was sure he was going to make a fool of himself with the next words that fell from his mouth but still. Scott was a renowned playboy, someone who liked the ladies for a couple of nights but as of yet John hadn't seen his brother take to someone. At least not someone John knew of.

"I think I like someone. More than like someone but I don't know why or even how it's possible. It's not logical or sane. Mum always said there would be reason, everything has reason, cause and effect." He muttered glancing up towards Scott before dropping his eyes back to the floor.

"Oh don't tell me its little miss cowgirl down the hall? Is she the reason for your lack of sleep?"

Scott grinned at the thought; sure Christina was a nice looking woman. Well nice looking in jeans, and a shirt which was about the only things he had seen her wear. She didn't strike him as the dress wearing kind or the skirt for that matter but still what his tastes were always differed from John's.

"Maybe, I don't know. It gets complicated you know?"

Scott could see his brother was confused at best. A sight that he wasn't too familiar with as John had always been rational and stuck to facts never letting things get complicated, if anything John straightened the complicated out for the rest of them. He was always their voice of reason and sanity up on Thunderbird Five.

"What's complicated John, you either like her or you don't? Which is it?"

"That's just it. I do, and I don't and then there's the family to think of. I can't just go around and have a fling with every woman I see unlike some" He said raising a quizzical eyebrow toward his brother.

Scott laughed shaking his head, sure he liked to be the play boy but so did the people he was with. It was never serious and Scott liked his lifestyle so far. He wanted to find the 'one' as much as the next guy but he was in no rush to do so. It was something that he had the rest of his life for no matter how much Jeff was disgruntled with his choices of women.

"Forget the family for a minute. How can you like and not like? You're unbelievable man, I don't understand you one bit."

John chuckled at his brother everything in his eyes was easy when it came to women. If anything Scott was the natural, he could talk anyone into anything and in a way John admired him, yet in other ways John couldn't believe the things that Scott did. Alan had once likened him to an alley cat and John couldn't help but agree.

"Just get dressed and forget I ever said anything." John muttered regretting he had ever broached the subject.

The two carried on their banter as the readied themselves for the morning. They could hear the casual movement of others around the place as their feet landed on creaky floor boards that littered the place like a mine field. Scott couldn't see anyone getting anywhere without others knowing where they were about the place. In half an hour John and Scott were once again heading down the staircase towards a kitchen that looked as if a tornado has just swept through there. Empty plates littered the table, along with mugs that still held some remnants of coffee.

"What happened here?" Scott asked looking towards Cookie who stood stirring a large pan of scrambled eggs.

"Breakfast happened, that's what. Now its eggs, toast will be done in a bit and help yourself to coffee and whatever else you want" Cookie said not taking his eyes off the pan.

Scott looked at John before he began gathering the used plates and mugs from the table; they stacked them neatly next to the sink before they set to clearing the crumbs that had been left by a hungry mob that Christina affectionate called family. The table looked worse than it did when the Tracy's ate and had the emergency call. Coffee rings and spilled orange juice mixed to make one sticky mess that John set to clearing up with a damp cloth.

"And house trained too... you boys are full of surprises" Cookie said as he laid the pan in the middle of the newly clean table. "Who'd a thought it?"

"I taught them well." Jeff said as he strolled into the kitchen. "But not this well, what is it that you boys are after today?"

They saw Cookie chuckle as he turned his back using his good hand to move a few pan about the over sized stove.

"Why is it when we do something good, everyone assumes we want something?" Scott asked sighing heavily as he shook his head. "We did it out of the goodness of our hearts, and we were brought up with manners too. Typical, we can't do anything right these days Jonny"

John gave Scott a quick smirk as they took up seats at the table. It wasn't long before the rest of the family appeared wondering in and saying various good mornings to Cookie who looked at his watch impatiently. Jeff helped himself to coffee he couldn't help but notice the other man glancing at the clock that hung from the wall to the watch that was fastened to his wrist; it was almost every few seconds as he paced idly around the kitchen eventually resigning himself to fill the sink with water to wash the plates.

"Waiting for someone Cookie?" Jeff queried, "Time won't go any faster if you keep watching the clock"

"They should be back by now... it don't take this long I tell ya." He grumbled loading the plates into the sink.

He turned and sat at the table reaching for yesterdays paper that lay on the one of the many surfaces around the kitchen. Jeff watched his idol glances at the articles before looking towards the door and back to the clock. He couldn't help but wonder what was taking so long, it was a mystery and Cookie didn't seem all that willing to explain just what had him clock watching. Sipping some coffee Jeff saw that his boys had made a start at clearing the pan of its contents, sometimes he wondered if he had son's or vultures the way they liked to wolf down their food.

"What doesn't take this long?" Jeff asked looking at the clock in a hope to figure out just what was wrong.

It was as his eyes read the time that the front door burst open, the sound of rain pouring on already saturated ground filled the kitchen. A few seconds later Bill appeared limping in his usual fashion before flopping into the nearest seat. He reached for the coffee pot pouring the steaming hot liquid into a spare cup before taking a long drink. Jeff was surprised it didn't scald his mouth but then Bill seemed to be a different breed of man.

"Storm's getting worse. Forecast says another day and it will clear but we got a flash flood warning" Bill said staring at the faces that had stopped eating, "Don't worry your pretty little heads, it don't flood here, only the valley."

"How'd it go... and how's you know who?" Cookie asked with the faint sense of worry hampering his every word.

"Cattle are moved to higher ground, they should be dry on Devil's Ridge. That river though... looks like the banking won't last much longer, its already burst lower down." Bill said ignoring the stares that came from the Tracy family. "All's okay so far... and as for the whom, time will tell. Never gets any better ever after all this time."

"Who are we talking about?" Alan asked eagerly.

Bill just glanced at Alan before taking another long drink from his mug. Shuffling in his seat he pulled his jumper that was sodden with rain from his chest.

"The clothes. That rain goes straight through clothing" He muttered before looking out at the dark sky.

No sun shone and only the dark rain clouds inhabited the area making it appear to be nearing dusk even though it was only morning. The mountains that John had once thought held a certain appeal had the angry and vicious feel and look. It was clear just how small they appeared to be in the surroundings, it was somewhat awe inspiring even when the rain threatened to break its way into the house.

"That seals it then, boys your all house bound for the day." Cookie said smiling with definite pleasure in his words. "We don't want you washed away, so let's catch up with some home improvements."

Alan grinned to the point of laughing as Bill's stern gaze soon wiped it away. Alan couldn't see himself being house bound for a whole day, no way a little rain didn't scare him and as for being washed away. The likelihood of that was about one hundred to one; Alan fancied his chances of taking a look around the place before anyone could tell him any different. No, he definitely wasn't going to stick to the inside of the house no matter what anyone said.

"Alan you can start cleaning cobwebs in the attic." Bill grumbled pointing towards a tall thin door that held every kind of cleaning products and materials they needed. "The rest of you can pick a room and start dusting, there's enough to go at least thrice around. Meanwhile Jeff I think we have some papers to catch up with. Then probably some TV and after that... who knows."

"That's not fair!" Alan nearly yelled.

The boy began to glare losing what Cookie had seen as a mellow side to him disappear in a few seconds. Cookie expected the same as a few days earlier, things flying and a whole pile of people trying to resolve a fight that Alan appeared to want, yet this time it was only a raised voice, no fighting or even movement.

"I think I'll give Alan a hand in the attic." Jeff replied wanting to combat Alan's new grudge.

Alan grinned as his brothers scowled at him.

"Let's get going then." Alan said eagerly as he stood up heading towards the tall door that Bill had pointed out earlier.

"Kid I wouldn't open..."

Bill was too late. Alan had already opened the door which was followed by a cascade of bottles, brushes, cloths and mops. Several hit Alan square on the head which amused his brothers before their laughter was silenced by a single warning glance from their father. Grumbling Alan picked up a few cloths and some bottles. He didn't bother to read the labels as he shoved them into an empty bucket.

"Which way to the attic?" He asked tapping his foot impatiently as Jeff stood up.

"Last door on your right before the back door. Follow the stairs and its right in front of you" Bill said failing to hide the smirk that plagued his face.

"Right" Alan said marching off with the bucket swinging from his hand.

Jeff followed Alan bringing a brush and a few others things he assumed would be needed, leaving his son's clearing away the breakfast things before Bill set cleaning in several different rooms in the house. It was ironic Jeff thought, his son's hardly seemed to know how to clean on Tracy's island yet now they were working away or so he assumed that what they were doing.

Finding the attic Jeff flipped a switch at side of the door; a few lights clicked and whirled as the attic was thrust into the light. Alan was already stumbling around before he sat square in the middle of the floor. The dust plumed either side of him and the place had cobwebs hanging from every corner and crevice. The place didn't look like it was used for much apart from storage; a few large trunks were pushed up against a wall, while sealed and unsealed cardboard boxes were stacked against the far end. One small round window provided some light at the far end of the attic though between the boxes and the rain, the light wasn't much use.

"Alan, why are you acting like this?" Jeff asked perching himself on a trunk.

"Acting like what dad?"

"Come on Alan, grow up. It's about time you started to take responsibility like your brothers." Jeff said angrily.

"Oh yeah, just like them. Well that just it dad, I'm not like them. I don't fit in and how am I supposed to take responsibility when I don't get any because you don't trust me!"

"Do you have any idea why Alan? You can't be trusted; these last few days have shown us all just how immature you really are. Fighting with family, arguing with people, being darn right rude and obnoxious to people you do not even know."

Alan listened to his father; every single word had a way of digging deeper into him. He wasn't trusted, he was immature. He felt like screaming but he knew it wouldn't do any good, even fighting with his brothers got his father's attention but it didn't last long. No now even though he could easily fight the same if not better than them, he still wasn't good enough. Nothing he did was ever good enough, he'd found that one out a long time ago especially when he had been sent to boarding school. It was either his grades that were low which meant that he needed to work through the holidays on boosting them or he spent too much time with his head in the clouds.

"Can't be trusted! Immature... what about Gordon and Virgil? Their pranks are immature, Scott and his time off that's immature. What the hell would you know about me being rude, you're never around to see or hear. You never listen to me!" He yelled as his fists balled and he pushed himself from the floor. "If I'm not good enough just say dad, I'm not the Tracy you want me to be. Not good enough to have the name then fine... but don't act like you care, because I know you don't!"

With that Alan stormed off slamming the attic door as his footsteps echoed throughout the house. Bill listened as he sat in the kitchen; he heard one of the many doors slam before he began to make his way upstairs. His plan however strange hadn't quite gone as he had hoped. Sure he wasn't naive enough to think it would all be roses by the time the pair came back downstairs but he had hoped that for even a second the two could share some time together and have an understanding. Apparently understanding wasn't exactly the result but it was wishful thinking. He waved away some of the Tracy boy's who stuck their heads out to see what the ruckus was about.

"Jeff"

Bill announced shutting the attic door; he saw the man still perched on an old trunk. Its contents known to Bill who like Christina knew every inch of that attic and its contents.

"It went well the father son bonding time." Jeff muttered sarcastically.

"I did have hope for it." Bill replied, "Give it time, they always come around eventually"

"Speaking from experience?" Jeff asked looking wearily towards the older man.

Bill smirked nodding as he took a long breath. He dropped himself down on a box of old books as the dust formed clouds before it fell softly to the floor.

"Christina wasn't the easiest child to deal with either" Bill said taking another long breath. "She was much the same as Alan, maybe it's why the two butt heads, and they seem to be too much alike to get along."

Jeff laughed shaking his head at the thought, Alan and Christina the same. It seemed like chalk and cheese to him, but Bill appeared to be serious about what he had said. Sitting in silence for a moment Jeff sighed stretching his arms out in front of him.

"So you have any tips on dealing with Alan?" Jeff asked hoping for some guidance.

His wife Lucy would have known what to do, how to deal with his tantrums. She had done will all the boys, he had watched her sometimes as she sat and listened to what they said, sorting out the silly little squabbles that were inevitable. Even when he asked her the key to how she did it, the simple answer was a mothers intuition and listening. Jeff always tried to listen though over the years listening and pre-empting things became more his style. It had worked with the others but Alan, Jeff hadn't a clue.

"Patience that's all I can suggest. When he wants to talk he will, you can't force them or they will get worse and push you out." Bill said grinning, "You ever seen a kid refuse to eat for a week because you tell them to eat their veg, or not speak for three months because they were afraid and felt they had to act tough to get along with everyone else. That was the terrible eight's, nine's and ten's. The teens... now don't get me started on those years..."

Jeff laughed although he could quite see Christina being a force of nature when she wanted to be, just like Alan. There were times when Alan's hard headedness was a blessing and times when he only wished he could make him see sense. In a way he was glad that Alan had only recently started his phase as he called it, but how long could this phase last. Jeff didn't want it weeks long let alone months. It was a nightmare already and Jeff didn't know if he was doing right or wrong with him.

"What was so bad that she didn't speak for three months?" Jeff asked out of curiosity.

"It's not my place to say any more." Bill said as his face fell into a small frown. "But it's the storms, Christina hates them; I'm surprised you didn't hear her last night, though I did hear two people."

Bill paused for a moment as Jeff looked over. He could see a few thoughts running around the man's head, and now Jeff had a few of his own. Jeff didn't need things to be laid out on a plate for him to have a reasonable guess as to who else was with Christina. His first assumption was John as the day before they appear to get along well. Then again without confirmation from Bill it was better not to pry into it.

"Might as well leave it for another day, nothing urgent about cleaning up here" Bill said walking towards the door.

"Would you mind if I stayed for a while? Cleaning might help clear my head" Jeff asked.

Jeff saw Bill smile and nod closing the door behind him as he left. After a few minutes of silent contemplation Jeff began the task of cleaning the dust and cobwebs away as his mind poured over the many things Alan had said over the past few days.


	9. Drop Me In The Water

Alan stormed from the house, slamming the door as his feet stomped heavily across the muddy yard. The hammering rain stung at his skin like a thousand needles that instantly soaked him to the skin. Alan didn't care about anything anymore, even with the voices he heard calling him to come back inside, he didn't want to listen to them, being angry seemed to be a permanent state for him and although he tried to keep his temper in check he couldn't help his outbursts when he watched his brothers getting on so well. It was like a bad dream, on the one side it was his family and standing on the other side of a dividing line he stood, alone and completely isolated. The more he thought about it the more upset he became, with the tears soon falling from his eyes. It wasn't normal for him to cry but with things the way he saw them, nothing was fair anymore.

He had to stay on the Island and watch as he brothers and father left to go save the world, flying off into the sunset without a second thought for anything but what they were doing. Even now he still had to get permission to go with them, and when they came back... well they didn't treat him like he could understand what they were talking about. His father didn't even think he was responsible enough to sit in on missions, and everything he did never seemed good enough. His grades at school were good but could always be better, his work with Brains was okay but he should focus on school. Whichever way Alan tried to go he felt as if it wasn't ever good enough for anyone. His father had all but said it a few moments ago which just made everything ten times worse. He felt like the spare part of the family as his urgent walk turned into a run.

His feet pounded across the saturated ground, easily distancing him from the house and the voices that slowly faded away the further he ran. After a while Alan didn't even know where he was anymore, the light was bad and the fenced in paddocks had stopped a while ago, now it was open land with a few miniature forests that he could just about see. The thinning tree's looked like a good place for him to go as he hoped it would provide a little shelter from the rain, though by the feel of his clothes Bill had been right. The rain just soaked him to the skin. He stopped running as he wondered aimlessly through the forested area, the tall red maple trees and bur oaks towered above him eerily moving in the wind that whipped the damp leaves across the ground. The place was desolate he decided, there was no traffic noise, no sound of human inhabitation just the rain and wind that whipped through every gap in the trees.

Catching his breath Alan decided to take a more steady approach until he could catch his breath, he began to look around as the ground started to steepen and sure enough after a while he found himself walking along a thin path that wound its way around the very edge of the forest a good few feet higher than the forest floor. In places Alan could see the beginnings of small land slips, he knew enough about them not to trust the ground beneath his feet, and so he climbed a little higher in hopes of finally seeing more than tree trunks and muddy ground. Listening carefully Alan could hear raging water, he couldn't quite place the direction but he became suddenly preoccupied with finding the source. It took his mind off the reason he was even out there, and the fact that he was sure the whole place would have heard of his tantrum by now. He found himself walking further and further towards the sound wondering if it was the river Bill had spoken about and sure enough after what felt like a very long time Alan saw it.

The muddy water surged past him as he stood still at the very edge of the bank. His feet teetered on the thin ledge that separated one side of the path to the other. The water had an angry feel to it as he watched a few larger pieces of timber bob up and down against the fast flowing current. His eyes scanned the bank as he saw a small bridge that lead across the raging river. The noise was quite something; it made a change from the peaceful lapping of the waves against the sand at Tracy's Island. Alan looked at the wooden bridge through the down pour, he could make out the structure beginning which appeared to be firmly driven into the river bank however the other side was a different story. Alan could make out that one of the support beams was clearly missing but it appeared to be safe enough.

Wiping some of the tears mixed with rain from his face, Alan set one foot in front of the other as he climbed up two steps onto the now shaky structure. Looks could be deceiving and of course taking another step Alan felt the bridge move under his weight, it gave him an idea although he knew no one would be around to see, it didn't matter. He could show he was brave he told himself as he held on tightly to the one woven rope sides. The floor of the bridge moved a little as he found himself half way across the unsteady structure. Looking towards the opposite bank he decided the middle was a good a place as any to take a seat, as his eyes swung from the far banking to the raging waters below. He watched a few more pieces of drift wood float underneath the bridge followed by what he thought was a bicycle tyre but he couldn't have been sure what it was as he tried to peer into the muddy water.

The waters of the river raced below him as Alan failed to notice the debris collecting against the supports for the bridge. His gaze was fixed on the water and its contents. A fuel can passed beneath him, along with what appeared to be metal frame work of the bicycle. He was enthralled with watching until he heard a voice. He didn't recognise it to start with, It wasn't his family he would have recognised their voice no, this voice was female and weak in tone. Alan's eyes shot towards a figure perched on the back of a chestnut brown horse.

"LEAVE ME ALONE CHRIS!" He bellowed standing up.

His hands once again gripped the two rope sides as he began to back further towards the far banking. He saw Christina jump from the horse, a terror stricken look on her newly pale face. Her hair was slicked back as rain freely ran down her face, a dark jacket appeared to be fastened up to her neck and she appeared to be as drenched as Alan was. She looked as pale as a ghost as Alan struggled to make her face out through the rain.

"Alan you got to get offa that bridge now kid!" He heard her call in a more commanding and forthright tone.

Despite her commanding tone, Alan was surprised to see her make no move to physically remove him from the bridge. He was waiting for it, she had shown she was more than capable of doing it but still she didn't make a move. Perhaps some kind of reverse physiology he thought to himself. Maybe she knew if she came any closer he would head the other way, maybe it was a tactic, a game of hers however it was another mystery he thought as his glance returned to the water below. He hadn't noticed before but the raging torrent only appeared to be a foot below the wooden planks, though he continued to back towards the far bank. He was three quarters of the way across when he heard the first crack of timber. The bridge jolted a little as he suddenly clung to the rope for dear life. His fingers turning white from gripping, maybe it wasn't such a good idea he thought to himself though he wasn't about to turn back now he told himself.

Christina had pure fear in her blood as she watched Alan back up. If the kid thought she was going to set one foot on the wooden bridge he had another coming she muttered under her breath. She hated water, her last experience with it had been less than great when some punk tried to drown her in a swimming pool, unsuccessfully of course but it still added to her already irrational fear of deep water. She could feel herself physically shaking already and she was stood a good few yards from the bank and the wooden structure. Her eyes only needed to linger on the bridge for a mere moment before she could see that if the current touched the wooden frame it would be ripped to pieces, and Alan would go with it.

Like always Alan didn't like to be told what he should and shouldn't do, although right then he wished he wasn't so hard headed. Deciding to hedge his bets, Alan kept backing up seeing the short distance between the bank and himself. It was on his third step that Alan found the dry rotted planks break away under his feet. With a scream and a small jump Alan landed further back than he had thought. He saw that the last few feet on bridge were missing its plank's and his idea to get across the river was soon turned into a nightmare. It was the first time that Alan had no idea what to do, his mind raced frantically as he looked around. There was no action plan for anything like this, no strategy he could think of, only the statistics. It was something Alan had excelled at in math class, the statistics of everything yet now even maths couldn't help him out.

Christina was still stood beside her horse though Alan was sure he hadn't ever seen a human being as pale as she looked now. If she hadn't been standing, Alan would have passed her off for dead. He wasn't sure if he could speak let along call for help, and then it hit him. Maybe she wasn't going to help him, maybe this was going to be his last few minutes. What was just below complete panic turned into horror and fear as he stood looking toward her figure that stood as still as a statue.

"Help" He said in almost a whisper. "HELP ME PLEASE"

Christina didn't need to hear what Alan said to know he was in trouble; she saw the way he was clinging to the rope as she slowly made her way up the banking towards the bridge. It took all the strength she could muster to walk those few precious steps, and with each movement she felt like her joints were ceasing up as fear began to take hold. She pulled the reins on her horse and soon the two were stood at the foot of the bridge looking towards a scared Alan.

"Stay still, DONT MOVE!" She yelled seeing Alan nod.

Alan couldn't understand why she wasn't doing anything, it looked to take a lot of energy and thought for her to even move a few feet either way. He half wondered if she would leave him there, just walk away and say she hadn't even seen him. For a moment Alan could see that he would be washed away by the raging river that had closed the gap on the bridge rapidly. The foot of wiggle room had turned into a mere few centimetres and even that was shortening quickly. He wished he had stayed and cleaned the attic with his dad, at least that wouldn't have him scared to death and wanting nothing more but to be on dry land. The attic, the cobwebs, they suddenly all became appealing to him, a home away from home he thought.

"Alan grab the rope" He heard her call as his head snapped back into the here and now.

He watched as the end of a rope landed inches from his feet, his eyes followed the line back to Christina who still hadn't set a foot near or onto the wooden structure. The rope was coiled around her arm and attached to the horn of the saddle. Alan watched as the horse moved a little, backing up as he listened to Christina's pleads for him to grab the rope. He wanted to, he really did but what he wanted and what his hands were doing just happened to be worlds apart. His fingers wouldn't let go of anything as he shook his head, the tears returning to his face as they now fell from fear and terror rather than anger.

Christina gulped shaking her head, she wished she could just run and get someone, anyone that would be able to cross the structure without a thought for themselves, however the sound of splintering wood had one of her feet firmly planted on the step. Gingerly she edged her way onto the bridge that swayed a little as she recognised a piece of timber that was a support beam, floating away with the current. She felt her legs turn to jelly as her fear intensified; just like Alan her hands gripped the rope sides with crushing strength. Feeling the bridge sway dangerously she felt herself crumble to her knees, crawling on all fours as she edged closer and closer to Alan.

Somehow everything seemed to speed up and slow down at exactly the same time, looking towards the rising water Christina felt nauseous. Taking a breath and hearing Alan's desperate plea for help Christina pulled the loose rope towards her as she leaped across the opening. Like always instinct took over, her fear was momentarily forgotten and her only concern was Alan. Her feet skidded close to the edge of the remaining planks, before she landed safely at the other side feeling a little weak kneed as she took hold of Alan's arm.

"I'm gonna tie this around your waist and you're gonna jump across okay?" She said as Alan shook his head.

He could feel her cold fingers trying to pry his own from the rope sides but with the rain Alan found she had little luck. His grip was too tight and his fingers felt like ice to him.

"Alan look at me... just look" She said softly though he could hear the fear in her voice. "You've got to do this, I won't let you fall, and you know that right."

Even though the sincerity in her voice told him she wouldn't let him fall, Alan couldn't find the strength to let go. Doing as she asked he stared at her, her eyes were fearful and panicked yet her face was as calm as could be. He felt her make another attempt to free his hands from the rope and to his surprise this time she was successful. Letting go of the side's Alan now gripped her hands painfully tight as he felt her manoeuvring him. He didn't want to look anywhere else but her face at that moment; her features so calm and pure yet her eyes were anything but.

It wasn't until he felt the sharp pain in his back that he realised he now lay sprawled on the other side of the eight foot gap. Looking blankly for a moment he scrambled backwards as Christina followed him landing roughly on her knees. Her face had lost its calm and serine look, now the terror and fear was apparent as she glanced up river. Alan saw just what had caught her attention, a log or rather what appeared to be a dead tree, the branches and all heading full tilt down the river, scraping the bank free of its soil, mud and vegetation. Alan found himself being hauled to his feet and shoved towards the banking.

He could hear and feel his feet slipping from beneath him as he made a mad scramble for the safety of solid ground. Christina's hands were steadying him the best they could as he felt himself once more loose balance. Quickly he recovered and leapt the rest of the way, it wasn't until he felt the cold ground beneath his feet did he turn around. He saw Christina scrambling the same way he had done the last few feet.

Alan watched in horror as the dead wood collided with the bridge, the wood splintered as pieces flew everywhere. In one quick moment the wooden supports were ripped clean from the banking and disappeared underwater. He heard a scream as he watched Christina being pulled back towards the raging waters. He saw that her boot covered foot was caught in the timber as her hands clawed desperately at the banking. Alan lurched forward grabbing onto Christina's hand as he tugged her towards himself. He heard the horse's hooves slam hard into the sodden ground as the rope became tight around his waist. Alan kept a tight hold on her hand unable to stop his fingers digging into her flesh as he felt himself being dragged backwards.

Moments later Christina and Alan both lay on their backs trembling with fear and a sudden exhaustion. Alan didn't think he could move as his hand still tightly gripped Christina's. The rope around his waist slackened as he was pulled once again to his feet.

"Are you okay?" She cried, "Alan, are y..."

Without thought Alan wrapped his arms around her, he could hear she was crying as he felt her tremble. It didn't take long before Alan felt her arms wrap around him, he shivered for a moment feeling his tears well up again. He didn't know how long they stood there but it was the only thing Alan felt able to do. He could hardly move as he felt Christina untying the rope from around his waist.

"I'm sorry, I didn't know. I... I" He panted looking towards her.

Christina looked away from him, wiping a hand over her face in a vain attempt to get back the calm face she had before. Her heart was racing and she felt undeniably sick. Taking another look at Alan and then the river she felt her breakfast rise within her. Alan hadn't seen her move as fast before as he saw her dive behind the nearest tree. He could see her fall to her knees and even through the horrid sounds of the water and rain he heard her throw up over and over again. Alan sat on the sodden ground once again as he waited quietly for her to reappear. Sure enough her pale form silently moved slowly back towards him. Without a spoken word between them Christina sat Alan on the horse.

It was the last place Alan wanted to be but he didn't argue with her. Not now, he couldn't manage to say anything as they passed through the small forest that Alan remembered coming through earlier. It took a while for him to notice where they were, the fenced paddocks were slowly but surely coming back into view through the down pour that had them both shivering like ice cubes. It was then Alan pulled on the reins, stopping the horse and Christina who walked beside them.

"I c...c...can't go back" He muttered, "N... not after this"

Alan knew his dad wouldn't be happy; in fact it would only reinforce his belief that Alan had no place being a Thunderbird, or even a Tracy. He shook his head at the thought; once again he had only added more reasons to the pile. He wished he had stayed on the Island or he had just stayed and cleaned like he was supposed to.

"After what? It wasn't you're fault." Christina said, "I should have told you all to stay away from the bridge, and river"

He could see a pained expression on her face as her fingers traced over her arm. He saw the scratches and red finger marks that covered it, no doubt from where he had grabbed her arm and hand. He looked away in disgust at what he had done before he heard her speak again.

"Thank you." She said quietly looking up at him with a small smile on her face. "I didn't think you would have saved me."

Alan scoffed nearly choking on the air he breathed.

"I guess I didn't give you much reason to expect that." He murmured, "I thought you would have left me on the bridge"

He watched as Christina smiled a little more shaking her head as she tugged on the reins and the three started to move forwards again.

"We didn't give each other much of a chance huh" She said smiling up at him, "No matter what you did or said kiddo, I'd never have left you there. Just stay the hell away from water, or next time I might let you swim. "

Alan nodded seeing nothing but a serious stare. At least it hadn't be such a disaster he thought to himself, it could have been worse. Then again he really didn't want to think about what could have happened, what had was already bad enough and would probably take a lot of explaining away.

"How about we get you dried off, some soup down your neck, and we don't mention a word of this to anyone."

He was surprised by what Christina said, though his sudden pleading gaze had no effect on her. Secrecy however sounded pretty good to him, the last thing he wanted was his dad breathing down his neck about how stupid he was, and then his brothers screaming about what he had done. Then that wasn't even counting Bill and Cookie who would no doubt have something to say too.

"Thank you too." He said, "I'm sorry about what I said about you before you know"

He heard Christina laugh sharply before stopping. He meant every word he said she thought quietly to herself; angry people often meant what they said after all emotions were signs of true feelings. She had to take a much needed calming breath before she looked at Alan again, he did appear to be genuine with what he said though Christina wasn't interested in apologies. Something she had learned a long time ago, apologies meant nothing. They were weak and feeble ways of grovelling to get back what once might have been, or at least it was her opinion.

"Never apologise for something you don't mean" She snapped as her hands balled into fists.

"I am sorry though."

"You are now but tomorrow who can tell... don't play me like a fool Alan. Never apologise for something you don't mean."

Alan didn't need to be told twice. He was sure that Christina was angrier now than she had been, but then his father had always said certain things took longer to be understood by the mind. He guessed this was one of those didn't know why but it felt as if she never really said what she meant, always falling short before anything was spoken. A little like only hearing a censored conversation with the major parts being left to the imagination. Staying quiet Alan slipped from the horse watching as Christina led it into the barn. His eyes travelled to the house, his feet didn't seem to want to move toward it at all but after a moment's thought Alan began to move feeling as if the short few steps were a marathon.


	10. One Day At A Time

Walking through the door of that wooden structure was one of the few things Alan wanted to do badly, yet with every footstep closer he wanted to run and hide. He hoped that no one knew or had realised he had gone, at least then he could quietly slip in un-noticed get something to eat and disappear into his room for the rest of the remaining afternoon and night. Yet when his eyes adjusted to the light in the hallway he could feel that something wasn't right. The mood was solemn and tense if he was to judge by his father's stern expression, there was most definitely something wrong. Alan gulped as he tried to look as innocent as possible, however as Jeff took a step towards him Alan was sure he was in serious trouble.

"Dad, I know I shouldn't have been on the bridge, but..."

"You were on the bridge!" Jeff exclaimed. Alan was sure he heard surprise in his father's voice but he figured it was a good a time as any to get his point of view across.

"We're both alright, and I didn't think it would wash away, it just..."

Pure shock was the only thing Alan could see on Jeff's face; Jeff had planned on giving Alan a talking to about running off when they were told to stay inside, but like always rules and Alan just didn't go well together. Alan found it difficult to decipher his father's look, though Jeff being mad at him was enough to tell him he needed to keep quiet.

"Wash away?" The unanimous bellow of voices boomed.

Scott and John soon poked their heads around the corner and Gordon and Virgil appeared hanging over the banister at the top of the stairs. They all looked a little rattled, but Alan had a feeling if he had kept his mouth shut, no one would have been any the wiser to what had happened. He inwardly cursed himself as Bill trundled out from the kitchen. The man wore a face that appeared to have aged a good few years from that morning.

"You said we Alan, you and who else?" Bill growled as he hobbled his way towards Alan.

Bill wasn't stupid, he knew exactly who would have been there yet knowing it and hearing it were two different things. Bill didn't like to hear that Christina had been in danger, no matter how small though where she was involved, the incident was never small. He remembered times when he had considered wrapping the girl in bubble wrap just to make sure she would be safe, though now he wondered why he bothered worrying as the more he worried, the more danger she seemed to find.

"She's alright, she's putting the horse back" Alan said quickly as Bill shot him a fierce look.

"You shouldn't have been anywhere near that bridge" Bill yelled finding his temper difficult to control.

He knew better than to yell but when it came down to it, his temper flared and there was no stopping it. Bill didn't know how Jeff coped with Alan for one Bill knew Jeff wasn't exactly coping but in the end, the boy seemed to be determined to make the worst possible choices.

"You're damn right he shouldn't!" Jeff bellowed following on right behind Bill.

"But it's all under control now." Alan insisted, his head nodding furiously.

"Under control do you have any idea what could have happened?" Bill almost screamed. "You went out there without thought, you stupid child."

"You put everyone in danger Alan when you act selfishly." His father said. "You want to be part of the team, you play by the rules. Understand?"

"Do you?" Bill asked before Alan had time to say anything, only adding to his father's previous question.

"Yeah, I understand." Alan said tartly, "You don't want me to be part of the 'team'. You don't want me to do anything. You won't even listen to me! Bill there's something..."

"I've heard enough. You're grounded for the rest of vacation." Jeff grumbled.

"But Dad" He tried to plead looking towards his brothers disapproving faces.

"Bottom line Alan, you need to grow up." Jeff said sternly.

"Then let me." Alan said turning his back, "Please!"

Alan was about ready to walk out of the door when Christina opened the door, her weary face looking puzzled at the congregated bodies. Bill was first to move, roughly pushing Alan out of the way as he embraced her. Alan couldn't quite hear what he whispered to her but he saw the effect. One small glistening tear rolled down her cheek as she closed her eyes, resting her head against his shoulder and neck. Bill rubbed a hand over her back before she pulled away using the back of her hand to wipe the tear from her face as she audibly cleared her throat.

"L.. let's get you dried off Alan" She said promptly not once looking back at any face but his, a small strained smile fighting the tears that welled in her eyes. "Well lets go, you're gonna catch your death if you stand in wet clothes all day."

Alan shrugged weakly as she led him by his cold hand past his father and brothers towards the bathroom. Alan could already hear the low mumbling of voices below as Gordon and Virgil moved from their vantage point at the top of the stairs to join the crowd below.

"Take as long as you want in there, towels are where they usually are, and take no notice Alan. In my book, you're a hero, whom I owe a lot to" She said as a small appreciative smile crept across her face.

John had broken from the family downstairs, he left Scott muttering to their father and Bill who he thought was about to follow upstairs stopped dead. John saw the man's momentary look as though debating heading up after them but after a moment's hesitance and a sideways tilt of his head, John took the hint and made the quick ascent of the stairs. The hallway for some reason appeared longer than normal, the carpet seemed to go on forever as he peeked into his brother's room. Alan sat on the edge of the single bed shivering while his hands clutched a fluffy cream towel to his chest.

"Alan." John gasped walking through the door.

Catching sight of John Alan made an attempt to move from the bed; nevertheless his legs hardly capable of supporting his weight anymore gave out from under him. With a thud Alan plummeted toward the wooden floor with a crash. John rushed over seeing Alan curl up into a ball. It wasn't anything new to see, John remembered many times Alan had curled up after nightmares but it never did get any easier to see. John pulled Alan into his side hearing the soft sobbing; he could feel his own clothes dampening where Alan was pulled close to him. The boy was plagued with shivers that caused goose bumps to rise over his skin.

"It's alright now Alan" John whispered softly.

"Dad's right" He snivelled, "I'm never going to be part of your team"

John wasn't sure what word hurt most, though he was pretty sure it was somewhere around 'your team' that had his insides churning like bag of snakes. There was no team, no side to be on, it was just family, their family the whole idea of family was the Thunderbirds or at least that was what he always believed, but now what was a family appeared to be slowly falling apart because they didn't want to put their baby brother anywhere near harm.

"Family Alan, it's not a team, just family, and from where I see it, you're as much family as the rest of us." He said seriously. "Even if Gordon still believes Aliens beamed you down from space"

He heard the small choking laugh that made him smile as he felt his brothers arms tighten around his waist.

"Family is supposed to listen, but you never listen" Alan said with a little more fury.

"Maybe you should be telling dad this?" John said hoping that Alan could at least speak with him; John knew it wasn't easy for either of them.

John saw the resemblance of his mother in Alan, he often wondered if that was his father's reason for keeping Alan away from harm. He was in a way saving Lucille though he hadn't even spoke his idea outside his own head, he knew it was a subject better avoided. Alan and Jeff were a lot alike in so many ways, hard headed, opinionated and of course strong willed.

"Dad won't listen to me he never does, unless it's about school or grades." Alan mumbled, "John please... you should listen if you care."

John felt a little anger toward what Alan had said, 'if he cared' since when did he stop caring. The moment he thought about it he felt like shouting at Alan, telling him just how much he cared though it wasn't in his nature.

"I'm listening Alan, I always do"

Alan looked up at his brother quickly wiping his eyes free of the tears.

"I didn't know it was going to wash away, I swear I didn't. I got so scared that I couldn't move and then she... she watched."

John didn't know what to say as his arm tightened around his brother who now felt cold to the touch.

"She waited, looked scared; even then she didn't do much."

"Who is she Alan?" John asked getting confused.

"Christina!" Alan always shrieked, "I tried to tell dad but he wouldn't listen, and I didn't know what to say to Bill because if I tell she might be mad, and if I don't it could be important."

John was lost as he rubbed his forehead, trying to understand what Alan was talking about. If he could have changed one thing about Alan, it would have been that he actually made sense for once. Then again it was the challenge that he enjoyed although now didn't appear to have to keep asking what he was talking about.

"Just calm down, you're alright now, both of you are" John said calmly, though he did have to wonder what had Alan in knots.

"No it's not alright, she was nearly washed away and then she was crying... she tried to hide it but I could see she was as scared as me and then..."

John raised his hand to quite Alan for a moment letting the boy catch his breath before his mouth ran away with him again.

"It was a scary thing, I'm sure it is a normal feeling to be scared."

"No you got to let me finish, she was ill John, just like you were after Thunderbird five was hit."

Alan stopped there watching the colour drain from his brother's face, the mere thought of what had happened on the space station all that time ago still gave him nightmares. Alan had heard him call out in the middle of the night, every night after the event they had put up with John pacing around the house twice over to make sure that everything was as it should be, everyone was safe and asleep. He had the time to think of it in the silence, he should have seen it before but it didn't make sense to him. John had been injured, the family had nearly died, but being that afraid of water despite the bridge it just didn't make sense.

"I'm sure it was just the exertion of stress, adrenalin can do that sometimes." John stated.

"I knew you wouldn't listen" Alan bellowed, "No one does."

Looking a little alarmed John stood up as Alan pulled away from him. It was a valid assumption he thought to himself, though obviously Alan hadn't thought it was.

"I am listening to you Alan; I just don't see what you're trying to say"

Alan had tried to put is as simply as he could, he really had but it just never came out right. Well this time he would have to put it as plain as ever, he told himself taking a breath to calm him, knowing that John always listened to him no matter what. Harebrained schemes and idea's that sometimes weren't worth the paper they were written on, it didn't matter John always listened to him.

"Something happened to her either with a bridge or water or both." He stated raising his brow as if willing John to understand. "Just like you and the space station, something happened."

John understood there and then, there were several reasons that people were ill, most of which didn't apply to an FBI agent though some could, just like the one that Alan had so blatantly pointed out for him. It made sense given her reaction the previous night to the storm. Nothing short of mind boggling to begin with but then with today's events added, it made a little more sense than it had.

"You might be right Alan, but I would keep that to yourself, if she wanted anyone to know she would have told us already" He said smiling, "Now get yourself warm and dry kiddo. I'll wait here for you"

Alan had turned toward the door when he heard John speak.

"I'm glad you're alright Alan."

Alan nodded feeling drained as he wondered off toward the bathroom, the now damp fluffy towel shoved roughly under his arm, followed by a set of dry clothes.

* * *

Below Jeff was stunned by what he had heard, Alan had struck again. He really shouldn't have been so surprised but putting someone else in danger, that was not what the family stood for, nor was his behaviour. Scott placed a comforting hand on his father's shoulder as Bill angrily dropped down on a nearby chair.

"I don't know what's gotten into him" Jeff said in dismay walking into the living room as he sank back onto the sofa.

"It's just teenagers" Bill grumbled.

Jeff saw the man's tearful eyes glance towards the door way. It was clear to Jeff what kind of bond existed between him and Christina; Jeff could see it was much the same as the bond he felt with his boys. Family was everything and when it was put in danger, there was no telling the lengths that either man would go to, to fix what had gone wrong.

"Dad you've done a great job raising us since mom died." Scott chirped, "We've all been there. Alan, he's just going through a phase"

Virgil and Gordon nodded agreeing with their eldest brother; Scott was exactly like their father in so many ways. The oldest of the group and yet the one who acted like a brother to them most of the time, it was funny to see the two men side by side as to an onlooker it might seem as if the two men were both competing for the medal of fatherhood, but none of them minded it. Scott was the brother that no matter what had always looked after them when Jeff had to go away on business, he had watched over them all those nights when Jeff had to leave for work, and they couldn't remember a day when Scott hadn't stepped into his father's shoes whenever it was needed.

"Thanks son, but he put someone's life in danger today."

Jeff had hardly finished speaking before Bill interrupted.

"No one was hurt, remember that!" He grumbled, "He didn't endanger her life, she did that all by herself, and until I hear the story in its entirety, I suggest we don't play the blame game."

"You don't know Alan like we do" Scott replied looking more than a little rattled at the man's interruption.

"No I don't know Alan, but I know Christina."

Virgil was the one to rest a warning hand on Scott's shoulder this time, there was no use in arguing and they knew it. He had an idea Alan was the cause but just like Bill told them, it was better to wait for the story than assign blame, he found that true working on Thunderbird two, it was better to hear the story first hand, than listen to an account from two opposing sides that twisted the events to suit themselves.

"I just don't get it, why is he being like this?" Gordon muttered glancing at the faces that held no answers.

* * *

Upstairs Christina had done what she had to washing off the rain water and mud from her cold body. She shivered under the hot spray of water, the force making her skin go red and shrivel as she made no move to exit the shower. She could feel the wooden beams still gripping her foot as she stood there, the weight dragging her back down the banking. The water cold and icy as she struggled to get to the surface to breathe, the feeling was too familiar to her she thought diving from the underneath the shower head that rained those tiny jets down on her. Wrapping towel around her she pulled on a robe before wrapping her hair in yet another smaller towel.

She paced in her room, sitting here and there for only a few seconds before she became restless. Her mind flitted from one thing to another; her eyes looked for any distraction as they set their gaze upon the dressing cabinet. She pulled open a draw retrieving the brown FBI file that was buried beneath several pairs of jeans; her eyes flitted over the papers. She had already looked it over and sent her findings to the office but even as she peered at the page of writing the words all appeared to blend together. She tossed the file back into the draw pulling out a pair of faded jeans before using the other pairs to cover the file.

Her fingers danced over several over sized jumpers before she laid eyes on a grey one about three sizes too big for her. She slipped in on pulling the towel from her head before casually throwing it into a small clothes hamper. She could still smell the fragrance of the coconut shampoo she had used on her hair as she ran a brush through brown tangled mess, tugging at several knots as she made a half hearted attempt at putting it in a bun. Sitting down at a small dressing table she stared at the pale face that peered back at her. She almost didn't recognise herself running a finger over the dark bags that lay under her eyes. She knew herself that she was tired, she had been for days, weeks even if she was honest about it. Christina wasn't usually tired but with the amount of new cases that crossed the team desk, she was surprised that the late hours and early starts hadn't caught up with her sooner.

Her eyes ran over the tired looking face once more before she strode from her room. It wasn't often that she admitted to herself she needed a break but this time there was no hiding the obvious. Between work, the ranch and trying to keep every piece of information in her head straight, she knew she'd run herself into the ground sometime though it had happened sooner than she thought. A few days of well deserved rest she thought as she caught site of Alan. He certainly looked dryer than he had done when she had last seen him, she smiled as he stopped. His eyes fell to the floor as he stood in the doorway of his room.

"You feel any better?" She asked.

"A little I guess."

Christina smiled again wearily; she hadn't felt this tired in months. Then again she hadn't really had time to feel anything between work, sleep and the ranch. Everything happened at once and now she couldn't keep the same pace, floating between work mentality and the easier going ways of the ranch. She knew that after a few good nights' sleep she would be back to normal or half way there, it always worked that way with her. She could go on for months before crashing for a few days to a week and then she would back up and running as if nothing had happened.

"It wasn't your fault Alan" She said quietly. "I need you to know it wasn't your fault."

Alan nodded seeing her eyes tear up. She owed Alan a lot, despite his stupidity for being in the wrong place, it didn't change the fact that without his help, she wouldn't have been standing there let alone talking.

"It was." He replied, "You wouldn't have been there if I hadn't have been."

Christina openly winced, it wasn't everyday that she was so open with her emotions let alone showed she wasn't as tough as she wanted people to think. Few people saw her like that, she had even managed to pull the wool over Bill's eyes a few times but Alan had seen what he shouldn't have, yet she couldn't let him believe he was to blame. Walking up to him she gripped his shoulders firmly, her brown eyes caught his blue ones as she shook her head.

"It wasn't you're fault because there is no fault Alan" She said as calmly as she could, "Don't worry that little head of yours on the could have or might have been, it never does anyone any good."

Alan couldn't see it, he had already nearly been washed away, nearly got someone else into as much danger and now he was being told not to worry about it. He found that not worrying was too difficult as he stared blankly at her. He was about to speak when he felt her finger press against his lips hushing any words that he would have spoken.

"Keep your face to the sunshine and you will not see the shadows kid. It's over with, you can't change the past, so don't let anyone tell you otherwise and what I said about apologies, they are always appropriate." Christina regretted what she had said earlier although she might have meant every word, it wasn't something Alan needed to understand or do. "Wow I'm sounding more like my mother every day."

She saw Alan glance into his room chuckling before she peeked around the wooden door frame. She glanced at John her smile a little brighter than before, Alan couldn't help but notice the two which made him regret what he had already done a few days ago. He knew it wouldn't be long before what was done in anger and spite came back to bite him, but he was happy for now that he was alive and maybe his phone message wouldn't be received, at least that was one hope he had.

"Perhaps I shall see you downstairs Alan"

Christina said nodding toward John while her feet travelled heavily down the wooden staircase. Looking for the people who had congested the hallway about an hour ago, Christina saw them sitting in the living room, solemn faces that appeared to need a break as much as she did.

"This isn't working" She announced.

Christina watched a few heads turn her way as she plopped down next to Bill's feet, resting her head against his leg. She felt the man run his fingers through her hair, something he had done ever since she was a child and it always gave her a warm feeling. She smiled giving a half hearted attempt at swatting his hand away.

"I know," Jeff Tracy sucked in a much needed breath before shaking his head. "We should have left before, but tomorrow we will head home."

Jeff cast his gaze from Christina. He waited to hear the crashing torrent of insults and truths about what Alan was, what he had done and how much of a misery he had made their holiday. The silence was as crushing as words to him and Jeff couldn't help but wonder where he had gone wrong.

"That's not what I would like Mr Tracy, nor is it what I meant for you to do"

Jeff was surprised by the reply. Her smile seemed genuine as he watched her cast her gaze around his sons, her eyes lingering only a moment longer on John than the others.

"I meant the working holiday isn't ... working out how it was supposed to." She said letting a small laugh escape her lips. "Speaking purely for myself here, I need a break, some sleep and judging by today tranquilisers wouldn't be too bad either. Trying to help educate you guys in the workings of this place... isn't really as relaxing as I thought."

Christina paused for a moment sighing as she picked a small thread from the cuff of her jumper hearing a few chortles of laughter.

"So instead of working holiday how about a holiday, starting tomorrow you can do what you like, I'm going to go into town for a while and get some things if anyone cares to come along. However I only have one thing to ask that you all do as a family."

Gordon and Virgil seemed to be on the edge of their seats, their faces eager to know more and the impish grins they both wore expelled a certain exuberance that it appeared the room needed.

"What do we have to do?" Both Gordon and Virgil asked in unison.

Christina merely smiled mischievously before wagging a finger towards the boys. "A surprise for later but first I believe your father need's an explanation."

Virgil muttered under his breath as Scott shot a glare his way, quickly silencing the mutter. Gordon watched Christina's face fall, the smile that he was sure held a little sparkle had gone as fast as it had appeared.

"I'm sure it can wait for another time, you don't ha..."

Gordon hushed himself as Christina looked towards him, he didn't know why he stopped but something in her eyes had him fighting to make the words come out. After a moment's pause he balanced himself on the arm of the chair wondering what she was going to explain, let alone say.

"Mr Tracy you have five wonderful sons, and yet one I don't know why, but I believe he feels isolated." She said in a matter of fact tone, before looking up at Bill. "I know what you think about me using work tactics but I was curious and hell I think that after today I could ask for a little leeway."

None of them knew what she was talking about, though Bill wore a harsh expression one that most definitely could cause harm if it was ever put into action. The only movement he made was a hand lightly squeezing her shoulder, they watched with bemused stares as her hand covered his before she continued.

"If it wasn't for Alan pulling me up the banking, I wouldn't... its simple really; I owe Alan for what he did."

"He put you in danger, if he wasn't there." Jeff grumbled nearly as well as Bill did.

"Mr Tracy, with all due respect, if Alan wasn't there I would probably be dead right now." Her tone was harsher more forceful as she spoke. "As shameful as it is to admit that I needed the help, your son didn't have to do anything, yet he grabbed my arm."

With that Christina pulled up her sleeve revealing the red nail marks that were still as plain as day on her arm. Some had broken the skin as the small specks of now dried blood looked painful as she covered her arm back up. The unwanted reminder of the even still visible to her eyes.

"Perhaps it would be wise if you spoke with him, as I believe Alan is nothing short of my hero. Despite what he might have been doing on that bridge, how he got there or lord knows why, I'm grateful that your son was there. There isn't anyone who I would have rather had there in that moment... apart from Tom Cruise"

Virgil saw her deadly serious expression mellow as her eyes locked with Jeff's in a stare that Gordon couldn't quite understand. What felt like a few minutes passed in silence as her words of Alan being a hero sank into their heads. It was a difficult concept when they had all tried to keep Alan out of harm's way with the Thunderbirds, well that of course was until the Hood made it impossible for that to happen anymore but somehow Jeff had managed to get the routine back. Alan went to school, studied, slept and ate; he didn't set foot near a Thunderbird or a mission unless it was safe and designated fool proof.

"But back to a happier topic, this weekend it's the Tennessee state fair. I'd really like it if you all could go."

Scott had only ever seen his brothers faces light up as quick, at Christmas. Two beaming smiles shone from Gordon and Virgil, a quick look at Jeff and even Scott knew he was pleased with the idea, although he was doing his level best not to act like the kid who just got the BMX bike for a present. Even Bill himself was happy about it, but a sideways glance in their father's direction revealed a stone like face. One that didn't even appear to have been listening to what had been asked Scott nudged his father roughly seeing a nod and a mumbled few words of agreement.

"Maybe we should move this to a more appropriate setting, show a few photos of what's to look forward to on the laptop?"

Bill suggested watching as Gordon and Virgil flew from their seats, Scott moved cautiously after them leaving Christina, Jeff and Bill who was in the process of hauling himself up. Christina motioned for Bill to follow the brothers and with a bit of not so gentle persuasion left Jeff and Christina sitting in silence. She moved slowly towards Jeff, taking his hand in hers for a moment.

"He's a good kid, just a little misguided, strong willed, and a complete pain in the a..."

"Buttocks" Bill hollered from the kitchen. "Watch your language Missy. We have company here."

Jeff smiled seeing Christina roll her eyes the faint scolding from Bill. She knew she wasn't allowed to speak as she normally would around the FBI, although it was a close run for who used the worst language, the team when things went sour, or those who worked on the Ranch. Still Bill insisted on never hearing her say a curse word, so for the most part she tried to abide by the flimsy rule knowing how much it irked the man when she forgot.

"I think he just wants someone to listen to him Mr Tracy. A father and not a disciplinarian." She said, "I know life can easily get in the way of family but tonight more than anything, I think he'll need his father."

Jeff nodded as the silence crept back, he didn't quite know what to say. Work was always a priority and now as he had thought most of the day he could see that he had pushed Alan away from the rest in false hope that he wouldn't want to be like his brothers. All Jeff wanted was for the family to be happy, for them to be safe and although four of the five had jobs with the thunderbirds, Jeff had a small ounce of hope that he could steer Alan away from it all.

"I'm speaking from some experience when I say that tonight, might be difficult for him. Though as the saying goes 'only time will tell'."

Christina left Jeff sitting there. Her feet padding softly on the floor into the kitchen, she saw the faces huddled around a small laptop that Bill was struggling to operate, though with careful prodding from Gordon he appeared to master what he had always called 'the impossible'. She leaned against the door content to watch the animated faces peering at the screen when she heard another set of feet walk themselves up the stairs. She found it hard not to smile sharing a quick appreciative glance with Bill before joining the rabble of voices that had too many words to say in so little time.


	11. Don't Know What You Got

Ghost walked un-noticed by the masses through the Federal building. His footsteps, silent in a sea of people as they stood and watched the large plasma screen light up. The image flickered for a moment before the press podium and circular emblem of the FBI came into view. Agents stood with baited breath as they awaited a speech that would address not only the town but the entire state if not country, the local news channels and a few national ones were gathered out front where the press statement would be given. Ghost felt elated with every flashing camera and microphone he saw but he chose the less public way of watching the press liaison agent squirm as he spoke to the millions of eyes that would be watching.

The nervous chatter filled the building as working agents left their desks to view what was one of the high points to Ghost's plans. A strategic placement of chess pieces that had the bureau at a loss and now, they had to tell the nation that they were no closer than before to finding an end to the killing and chaos. Ghost's eyes focused on another screen showing the crowd outside. He was surprised to see a few faces that had made their national most wanted list, though despite the agents there none of them appeared interested in apprehending anyone. If he was to shadow a guess, Ghost would have said the criminals were visibly more apprehensive than the law enforcers.

A rather red faced, suited man appeared on behind the podium shuffling some papers in his shaky hands. His face matched his tie, a perfect shade of rose red and already he could see on the high definition plasma the small beads of sweat that accumulated on his forehead. Other familiar faces were in the background too, he recognised the Assistant Director. A tough but fair man, a favourite of Ghost's who could play the office politics game better than most.

Next to him stood the Section Chief, a tall thin woman with half moon glasses and a taste for seventies fashion. Ghost didn't hold anything against someone because of their gender but this woman was head-strong and her career had been on the fast-track ever since she had joined the Bureau. Her emotions always got the better of her and for the most part she wasn't cut out for the job, however her connections and of course the Division Chief who did both her job and his made it possible.

Now the Division chief was someone Ghost had often gone for a work related dinners with. The man was as tightly wound as a rubber band could be, quick witted and persuasive. He was also overly neat something that annoyed him immensely but then again his obsessive and compulsive traits made the man an opponent worthy of his time. While pondering these inadequacies of the various Bureau officials he peered harder at the screen and became unsettled with what he didn't see.

It wasn't strictly unusual yet for this level of trouble, but to see the usual 'heavy hitters' standing around the media liaison without someone else present bothered him. It niggled really but it was still a chink in a chain of what he had come to call normal behaviour. Ghost found the knowledge that Supervisory Special Agent Damien Reese was absent unsettling and disturbing. Something he couldn't quite place felt wrong or maybe overlooked. Reese always appeared in the corner of these tedious appearances, at the back away from most of the camera glare but if you knew where to look he was always in sight, yet not this time.

Ghost peered and craned to see the screen but as the crowd felt silent and the words of the media liaison filled the room as his line of sight to the screen was severed.

"_Good afternoon. I'm Arnold Baker, the liaison for the Federal Bureau Media relations in Tennessee. I am joined here today by, assistant director Michael Jones in charge of the FBI's Tennessee Field Office; Section Chief Erin Reynolds; and Division chief Levi Ford._"

Ghost rolled his eyes as the familiar names rolled off the tongue of Arnold. The man always looked as if he was chewing mothballs, only more so today. The media frenzy out there was the worst nightmare of the Media agent who had to address the pack of hungry wolves.

"_As the Bureau indicated last week and has been widely reported, little progress has been made in the investigation of the recent shootings and crime wave. As you know, this investigation into the unspeakable acts that have made state history is one of the largest and most complex ever conducted by the FBI._"

A united groan filled the air as everyone knew just how substantial the investigation was. The entire building was working on it in some way, information here, reports there. Ghost doubted that anyone had steered clear of the case and if they had they wouldn't be clear for long.

"_The entire law enforcement community has made an extraordinary contribution to this investigation. Over the past days, numerous agent-hours have been dedicated to solving these hideous crimes._"

The room seemed to collectively nod at that statement. Ghost had seen the makeshift sleeping areas around the building, it was primitive with sleeping bags rolled out under desks, showers monopolised throughout the day as the entire building now worked twelve hour shifts, though he couldn't see those ending any time soon if he had his way.

"_Ordinarily, we do not publicly disclose evidence against a suspect who has not been charged, in part because of the presumption of innocence. But because of the extraordinary and justified public interest in this investigation, as well as the significant public attention resulting from the death of a Federal Judge in the last day, today we are compelled to take the extraordinary step of providing first, the victims and their families, as well as Congress, and the American public with an overview of some recent developments as well as some of our conclusions._"

Oh the hilarity, he thought casually as some surprised faces seemed dumfounded as to what new leads there might be or even developments. Everyone knew they had nothing, even Ghost knew they had nothing because there was nothing to find.

"_Earlier today, several search warrants were executed. Among other things, these search warrants confirm that there is a connection between the attacks which killed five federal agents and 17 other law enforcement officials. It has appeared that one of the men we have been searching for has earlier today died of an overdose and, at the time of his death, was not the sole suspect in the case._"

Ghost watched a few faces fall with disappointment at that statement. A dead suspect was no one's ideal scenario, not even his as in the white collar job he had, a dead suspect could make or break a case but this time the junkie had died by his hands. It was only another body to add to the many past and future he thought casually to himself.

"_Our investigation has taken many turns as we are now close to beginning the process of concluding this investigation._"

Several lost stares and a few angry words were heard and seen as a few people stormed off muttering about lost causes, which oddly enough was another valuable ego boost to the very cause of all the trouble.

"_Once this process is complete, we will formally close the case._

_I will summarize what I can before going into greater detail. I will also note that, for a variety of reasons, there may be some questions and details we simply may not be able to discuss publicly today. I hope you respect these boundaries, given the extraordinary steps we're taking with this disclosure today. Now, turning to the evidence."_

One agent openly yelled at the screen. The mixed emotions about what could be said and what the idiot on the podium would say were far and wide. For one everyone knew in that room nothing of value could be released. One because there was nothing and two it could derail any prosecution later on.

_"First, we were able to identify that this is not the work of an individual but several persons working as a collective group._

_Second, this group is diverse and highly adaptable._

_Third, we urge all members of the public to look out for any suspicious behaviour._

_Fourth, we ask all law enforcement officials or anyone associated with this case or any line of work that is an emergency service to be vigilant and weary of calls that appear bogus or areas that are desolate and isolated._

_Fifth, the Bureau is doing everything it can to bring these attacks and merciless killings to an end._

_I'll conclude with one more point. Any information about the crimes will be rewarded substantially._"

Ghost watched the room rise in uproar, faking some anger and disappointment himself, he watched more of the crowd disappearing as the phone lines began to ring. Ghost finally found a space where he could see the plasma screen clearly, the angered face of the division chief was priceless along with that of the agents who were still closely packed in the room. He knew the phone lines would never be free now, worried citizens calling for updates, tipsters with useless information that would have to be run down. It was a waste of man hours and everyone knew it but once again the media liaison Arnold had struck. There really was no wonder he was one of the hated men within the building, yet even with the unhappy crowd and officials he continued.

"_The points I have just gone over are only a summary what we know. There are additional details, which again, cannot be disclosed. We encourage you to read thoroughly all the information contained in this statement. We're happy to take some questions._"

The influx was quite something as the room watched a flustered Arnold deal with the wide range of valid questions that he couldn't answer.

Was there an end in sight? How close are you to an arrest? Will the residents of the state sleep soundly tonight? Why is information needed if the investigation is close to an end? How many more have to die before the taxpayers take things into their own hands?

Ghost walked from the room amongst the flow of people who grumbled and complained about another massive blunder. Ghost faked the distaste and anger, though anger came easily to him. If they told the public they were close to ending the investigation he would have to blow it wide open. Keep the fire going and let the public see that there was nothing the law could stop from happening. The state was his and soon he would take over everything. First it was one state then as the fear factor began to infect other area's turf wars would follow and then the gang's, street thugs and major crime families would do all his work for him, taking out the competition until he could clear the rest out for a clean run at the decks. Fear if nothing else was his most powerful weapon and he intended to use it to his advantage. Upon that thought Ghost saw the very man who he had expected to see on the screen.

"Agent Reese" He called out over the angry mutterings.

"Hell'ova press conference don't cha think?" Reese said the faint hint of a smile creeping across his face.

"Oh yea... Arnold really put his foot in it this time. Tip lines are going crazy already." Ghost said, "How come you didn't appear there?"

Reese shrugged but Ghost could see the sparkle in the man's eye. To add to his previous worry Ghost was fighting the urge to beat the answer from the man but he knew he had to keep himself under some kind of self control for a while longer.

"Had other things to do. We got eighteen other cases passed over my team's desk, and we got to clear a few before we can lend a hand."

Reese replied knowing that now the case had hit their desk, he was under instructions not to breathe a word of it to anyone else. If anyone was to ask, Reese and team were working other cases and had nothing to do with the major case everyone else was working.

Ghost was surprised. Every agent in the building was working the case, but not Reese and his team. A three agent team that hardly ever worked with other teams there from what he had gathered. Three very secretive agents who had a bull pen to themselves and kept out of the way of the general masses. Ghost didn't like not knowing but right now he didn't want to push too much, more research he told himself calmly. There was always a paper trail and of course three agents had to have some kind of paper trail somewhere.

"Well the whole building can't shed cases for this one, no matter how much trouble there is I guess." Ghost said. "You still have Duke and Luca working with you these days? I never see much of them."

Reese nodded, "Sure they still work with me. Duke is out, he's gone to fill Luca in about what's new on the case were working, but I'll let them know you wanted to see them some time... I'm sure they will give you a surprise visit."

Ghost noted the joking tone of voice grinning a moment before sighing, "I'd better get back before they miss me. Even the couriers won't drop files off now... everyone's scared these days."

Ghost once again gave the impression of dislike and annoyance shrugging his shoulders and highlighting the lack of parcel service there was.

"Least it gets you out the office though huh? We miss your face around here... come back more often and we'll give you a desk." Reese teased grinning before rushing off down an adjoining hallway.

* * *

The afternoon sun was slowly setting as Alan placed around the living room, the faded rustic carpet muffling his footsteps while he glanced out the window again. Jeff and Bill were sat studying a newspaper from the previous day, their idle chat about the prominent stories and the financial side of things was at best a little boring. Glancing once again out of the window Alan saw Gordon and Virgil playing catch in the yard, their voices could be heard inside as they yelled to each other, laughing when one missed a catch.

John and Scott sat flicking through TV channels as Alan walked across their line of sight for the third time.

"Alan come on... what's the deal?" Scott asked clearly annoyed with his brothers pacing.

"I need to ask Chris something and she isn't back yet" Alan told them stubbornly.

Bill chuckled shaking his head as he glanced up from the paper. The man looked positively amused by Alan's pacing yet Scott was more annoyed than pleased as he peered around his brother to see what channel they had stopped at. Another shopping channel was trying to sell a kitchen blender for two hundred dollars, though the more Scott peered at the item the more he found a dislike for it and he flicked to the next channel.

"Infuriating isn't it Alan." Bill said going back to the paper and the discussion with Jeff.

"She went out this morning... it can't take that long."

"Believe me; she takes as long as she wants. Plus she only went two hours ago to get fencing supplies and even she can't get back from town in two hours... its afternoon traffic." Bill explained.

"Yeah but still... it's important." He said seeing John's face fall.

"What's that important Alan?" John asked.

"Nothing... just stuff you know"

"Alan she'll get here when she gets here...so just cool your heels" Scott said, "And MOVE!"

John laughed shifting a little to give Alan a space on the sofa. Alan glanced wearily at his brothers before falling onto the sofa with thud. They all heard the exasperated sigh as Scott flicked onto yet another channel. The idea that there was little more than the daily soap operas and salesmen and women on the television were infuriating yet as he continued to travel through the uninteresting channels he stopped upon something that caught his eye.

BREAKING NEWS

It was probably something along the lines of an actor's death, or musician's demise though as they stared at the screen for a moment, a mahogany podium appeared bearing the seal of the Federal Bureau of Investigation. It caught the attention of the room as Alan pointed out the significance. Jeff and Bill ceased talking and stared openly at the screen, small red band ran across the bottom of the screen bearing the white blearing letters, BREAKING NEWS.

"Here we go... some wacko escaped from prison or some such." Bill said casually sitting back in his chair.

"Hmmm I'm not so sure." Scott said looking at the faces that started to appear in the background. "Looks more serious than an escaped prisoner"

After a while they saw the red faced Arnold appear and stare directly into the camera. It was creepy but their ears were glued to every word the man said.

"_Good afternoon. I'm Arnold Baker, the liaison for the Federal Bureau Media relations in Tennessee._"

They were so enthralled in the press conference they didn't notice three people filtering into the room. Christina stood shaking her head at the television as Gordon and Virgil stared.

"Woah... what've we missed?" They chimed in unison.

"Not a lot. Nothing to tell and putting that statement out is waste of everyone's time." Christina said turning her nose up at the screen.

"Why..." The two boys asked looking blankly between each other.

"There is nothing to tell because there is no evidence as such, there are no leads, and only a complete idiot would make a statement like 'Any information about the crimes will be rewarded substantially.'" Christina huffed before dropping a few brown paper bags onto the kitchen table.

"Why's that make the guy an idiot?" Gordon and Virgil asked following her into the kitchen as Alan jumped from the sofa.

"Why... well, when someone offers a reward for information the tip line comes alive." She said as she began to unpack a few groceries. "You might on a good day average twenty calls a day without advertising the fact that a reward for information is given. However when you blast that across the country... you'll average a few hundred calls an hour. Some of those won't be from this state; some will be about a shifty looking neighbour that hates the local cat... and those that are of some use... if there are any will be drowned out by an influx of useless information that all needs to be investigated."

Christina realised she sounded ungrateful and bitter but she couldn't help it. The man had just gone and made a manageable chaos into a fully fledged disaster zone that even the best of agents wouldn't be able to work in. It made Christina glad that the bullpen she worked in was quite and away from the general happenings of the rest but still their phones would be lighting up like Christmas trees and ringing constantly.

"Sorry but the FBI don't have the man power or time to hunt down everything... but still" She said throwing a few bags of sweets into waiting hands, "What's been happening here?"

"Alan's been wanting to ask you something since you left." Scott called from the sofa.

Christina peered around Virgil seeing Alan walk into the kitchen. She smiled and threw him a packet of sweets before she folded the brown paper bags placing a few more things away in the cupboards.

"Oh, sorry I took so long, Duke caught up with me and filled me in on what's been happening." She said leaning casually against the counter top. "Out with it then Alan?"

Alan appeared shifty as the boy lowered his eyes and shuffled his feet. Gordon and Virgil chortled together giving Alan a nudge as he mumbled something inaudible. Christina grinned watching him raise his eyes before dropping them back to the floor.

"Missy the kid was pacing most of the afternoon waiting for you to get back... put him outta his misery for all our sakes." Bill yelled as a collective laugh was heard.

"You break something Alan?" She asked watching closely as he shook his head.

"Misplace something?" She asked as again Alan shook his head.

"No... no none of them... but I was wondering.." Alan paused looking up for a moment before feeling guilty. "Wondered if we could go out tonight... into the city and stuff?"

Christina raised her brow surprised that it was something so insignificant. She had expected more along the lines of he had broken a piece of pottery, lost a horse, even that he had done something stupid again but going out, that was a new one to her. The boy had guilty look about him, like a kid who had his hand caught in the cookie jar but Christina unless she was missing the obvious couldn't see why. The look on Alan's face was priceless as she fought to keep a straight face and in the end she found laughing was the only way to ease the tension.

"Jeez Alan I don't know..." She teased walking past the three boys and into the living room.

Bill was sat chortling behind a pull out section of the paper that was shaking like a leaf, John and Scott were still focused on the television but found their laughing wasn't too well disguised either. Jeff however had a more confused look peering at his youngest son's face.

"That was it?" John said biting his lip before laughing uncontrollably.

"All that for ... can we all go out tonight... or did you just ask Chris to go out with you little bro?" Scott asked laughing harder than before.

For a moment Christina was embarrassed, maybe she had just upset things or hell had she just teased the hell out of someone who had attempted exactly that, but another look in Alan's direction proved her wrong.

"The hell I asked her out!" He exclaimed putting his hands on his hips.

At that Christina dropped into a chair laughing beneath a cushion that she pushed to her face.

"N..nnn not that I wouldn't I mean... I would but I wouldn't, you know"

The more Alan spoke the worse the laughing became until even Alan started to chuckle. However among the midst of the laughing, Bill was the first to regain some form of self control as he wiped a few small tears from his eye. The man's face had wrinkled and now had the appearance of an insane man as a toothy grin appeared from behind the newspaper.

"S...sure Alan." Bill mumbled, "Where did you have in mind?"

"Somewhere to dance or a club or something." Alan said watching as his family slowly stopped laughing.

"No clubs Alan" His father said sternly.

"Hollywood Disco?" Bill said glancing at Christina who peered over the top of her cushion. "Its more dance than club."

"Sounds like a plan" She replied laughing still, "Get your dancing shoes on boys... were going out on the town."


	12. Somebody Like You

The music was loud enough to drown out their voices as they walked in, a few heads turned their way as with their casual shirt and suit pants they hadn't exactly counted on the place being any different to others but with an abundance of jeans, Stetsons' and checked shirts they stuck out like a sore thumb. The feeling to begin with was a little awkward as they tried to order drinks in the busy place but Christina seemed to have that covered as she appeared beside them holding a tray filled with glasses. She grinned as quickly the tray was a few glasses lighter and she didn't have to wait long before she passed an empty tray toward a bar tender.

"You have been here before Chris." Alan stated rolling his eyes as she seemed to navigate the traffic at the bar well.

"Oh yeah... it's a haunt that I like for the distractions after work." She replied smiling as she lead them to a table at the back.

Sitting down they surveyed the scene. Christina did a head count before she turned her eyes toward the dance floor where she watched Scott dance, or rather bump and grind around a few women who had placed themselves within inches of him. It was truly a sight as there were a few open mouths watching the man. He could move but it was the way he was moving that had several people picking their jaw's up from the floor.

"Careful out there Scott... the one on the back could steal your phone." Gordon teased calling across the bar to his brother.

"Oh then I'd be a very happy phoneless man." He replied, "Try letting loose Gordy... it works wonders for you."

"Lose is one thing but acting like a dog is another" He jibed back laughing as Scott put more effort into his hip grinding movements.

Gordon glanced toward Christina, her dark black jeans and shirt embroidered with a rich red thread had her blending into the surrounding area. Their table was near the back of the dance hall and almost out of sight of the dance floor that was steadily filling with bodies that made their attempts at keeping a tempo with the music. The live band that was playing changed the music tempo regularly and despite everyone's best efforts to try and figure out the next beat, it was rarely possible. They saw more than a few fumbled steps every few minutes that amused the best of them.

"Are the golden oldies ever going to have fun?" Virgil yelled over the music toward his father and Christina who stayed seated, alongside John and Lady Penelope.

"Watch us show you how it's done!" Jeff announced.

Jeff laughed shaking his head as he offered his hand to Lady Penelope who willingly took up the offer, the pair smirking stepping between the dancing couples already on the floor. Christina watched the graceful movements of Lady Penelope as she moved with Jeff through the crowded dance floor, she managed to steel an unseen glance toward John who had just done the same, she glanced away taking a sip of cola before shuffling in her seat.

"I'll be right back..." She said excusing herself as she headed toward the bathroom.

John watched her leave, the twitch of her hips unmistakable as even in a dark outfit she stood out in a crowd he thought to himself. It was almost like she was moving to the music which had suddenly changed to a fast paced song. Glancing out at the dance floor John spotted his father and Lady Penelope; their dancing had turned into a jive more than a hold dance but from what he could see neither of them went too wrong. Dancing was one of the things that John had managed to learn through trial and error up on Thunderbird Five. Much like his air guitar skills, watching other people dancing and copying moves, learning dance steps and putting in a few of his own, he found it was a welcome stress relief. Even if his dance partner was rarely human, only a space suit or a broom but he worked with what he had.

He knew Scott preferred the held dances, keeping a solid frame with his partner who usually saw him dancing waltzes, American smooth's and fox trots John preferred the freedom of Latin dances. The fire and passion were always entertaining to him, though most of the family had a good range of dances and moves some just happened to be better at different types. Gordon and Virgil for instant were scarily good at making the cheesy dance moves look good and even Alan had found a few things he was good at though it was safer to be at least two feet away from him when he tried, but a quick look toward Alan had him thinking that even his strange moves looked as if they weren't out of place.

"Care to dance?" Asked a tall slender woman dressed in a petite mini skirt and a barely there tank top.

John turned stunned to face her but even if he had time to excuse himself he found that he was already being pulled from his seat by her hand. Being the gentleman John couldn't refuse the offer but as he managed a glance back at the table he saw Christina had reappeared. Her smile as bright as ever as she gave him the thumbs up clapping her hands toward him before she sat back disappearing into the dark corner. He wished he had asked Christina to dance before as the thought that she was sitting alone there gave him a guilty feeling but he hadn't managed to pluck up the courage to ask her such a thing. However his mind was pulled from those thoughts as his current partner chose to rub herself all over him which might have put dirty dancing to shame.

He suddenly felt uncomfortable as his face flushed. He asked the woman if she would care to dance the way he knew how but his offer was turned down as she continued to curl herself around him. John shot a pleading glance over at Lady Penelope and his father who appeared to be watching the sight. John was relieved when Lady Penelope swayed across the floor tapping the girl on her shoulder and speaking softly.

"Mind if I cut in?"

It was more a statement than a question as with a quick swing of the hips, Lady Penelope had replaced the girl and now stood with both hands on Johns shoulders as she leaned closer to him.

"Ask her to dance... you've been wanting to all night... the worst she can say is no."

John nodded glanced toward the table once more, Christina still sat there a half smile curling her lips as she appeared glance from one Tracy to the next, watching as they interacted with others around the place.

"She still hasn't forgotten to survey the crowd... A good agent who doesn't turn off easily out of hours" Lady Penelope remarked. "Go take her mind of work, lord knows she will need some calm before the storm"

John hardly needed to be told about a storm brewing; the news real that afternoon had taken care of alerting everyone but the more he saw Christina glance around the more he knew she wasn't completely distracted. She paid little attention to several men who openly ogled her, a few who had walked past more than twice in an effort to catch her eye but nevertheless she sat relatively still as her eyes flitted from one person to another.

The music ended as the band took a five minute break. John led Lady Penelope to the edge of the floor where his father took over and to his surprise he found himself almost running from the floor hoping to beat any other man who might have asked her to dance before he did. He dropped himself next to Christina in a slightly flustered state catching the smile that mesmerised him, the way her cheeks would dimple when she tried keep a straight face and the soft curl of her lips that gave a telling smile. They stared at each other for what felt like minutes before John managed to tare his eyes away.

"Looked like you were having fun out there... maybe instead of Space cowboy it should be more like Jonny Castle." She teased; the glint of mischief was plain in her eyes as John's face flushed.

"Hey you know what that means then?" He said laughing "No one puts baby in the corner"

Christina chuckled; humour was something that appeared to come naturally to him humour and there was nothing better than a man with a good sense of it but yet it appeared to be something very John. She stared out at the floor not wanting her thoughts to run away with her, after all John was a Tracy, a man who had published several books, was an astronaut and of course had the looks to choose any girl he wanted from models to the brainy and gorgeous, none of which were her. The mere thought almost made her kick herself as she found her mind wondering further than it should about the man, a man who by her workings was far too good for someone like herself. If anything he was like the prince and she was a mere servant that for some unknown reason had started to think outside a box she wished to keep herself in.

"Oh baby's gonna stay in this corner... because this is the one thing baby can't do without being a danger to those around her."

Christina knew that she couldn't dance. Sure waggling her hips to the beat of the music wasn't too difficult but that was about as far as it went. She remember a few times in the line of investigating she had danced at a gentleman's club, wrapping herself around a pole and of course dancing on a chair but she had stumbled through that and hardly felt comfortable with it. She had learned that she didn't dance, the day she managed to trip up her high school date, sending the boy into the fruit punch bowl at her first ever prom. Embarrassing as it was she knew then that dancing wasn't a skill of hers.

"Oh please, I'm sure you're not that bad" He said grinning. "Unless you're chicken?"

John knew in his mind she had just given him the perfect excuse to ask her to dance, a challenge was better than sitting in the dark he told himself. Standing he offered her his hand hoping that she wouldn't outright refuse but to his relief and surprise she took his hand rising from the seat with a grace that caused him to stare for a moment too long.

"I hope you have good health insurance John... you're gonna need it." She said seriously looking apprehensive and tense.

John smiled realising it was now his turn to relax her and at least have her see that she wasn't as bad as she told him. He was under the assumption that everyone had some sense of rhythm and with what he had seen in the barn when she swayed with the music he was sure that she was better than she was letting on, however her serious tone and apprehensive look had him reconsidering as he walked her toward the floor.

"Just follow my steps" John said confidently.

The music was suddenly the upbeat tune of 'hit the road Jack' and as John began to kick his feet in several directions followed by a quick raising of his arms as Christina watched intently at his control and speed of the movements. The man could move, she thought to herself trying to stop the wow feeling from showing on her face; however John took care of that as he motioned for her to follow him. The nerves got the better of her as she stumbled around trying to follow him. It wasn't until she managed to kick another man in the back of his calf that Christina stood there red faced and apologising profusely for her mistake. John heard the cry of pain and saw the man rubbing where Christina had kicked him, he half expected the man to make a scene but surprisingly he accepted the apology graciously moving away from them quickly. He smiled softly at Christina who looked at the floor her face almost the same red as the thread on her shirt but still John wasn't about to give up that easily.

"Come on... don't quit that easily, I thought you had a little more fight in you." He said hoping to get a rise from her, "Just face me and watch for a moment"

Christina was surprised by John's words, he almost sounded optimistic as once again he kicked his feet weightlessly out in front of him. Oh he thought she was going to quit, those words had her stubborn streak fighting now. It was the same when someone told her she couldn't do something, if he thought she was going to quit he was sadly mistaken she told herself. His feet hardly seemed to touch the floor as he bounced easily from foot to foot. Taking a moment to collect herself she watched him move, focused on copying his movements exactly. Twice she watched him go through the same dance steps before she join in.

The first few steps came off without a problem but as she lost her concentration for a moment her kicks became out of time and in the space of a few seconds she managed to kick John in the shins three times.

"Oh lord... I didn't mean to." She gasped, knowing she was about to break a rule she now wasn't so fond of keeping. "I'm sorry"

John winced forgetting just how sore it was to be kicked in the shins but never the less he wasn't about to let that stop him. John was amazed with the power behind the kick despite the pain that shot through his leg; her kicks had an unseen force despite their timid appearance. He straightened up hearing another upbeat song playing as he tried again.

"Don't worry" He said softly hiding the agonizing pain that now shot up and down his legs. "Try this, kick your leg out and tap you foot a few inches in front of you, then swap."

John led with a slight limp but seeing the look of horror in her face he soon lost it as he showed her how to move. John smiled as it took another few kicks to his shins and several apologies before she finally picked up the step. He couldn't help but gaze at her with amazement speeding up his kicks as she did the same. He steered her around the floor keeping her feet away from any stray legs and of course taking a few more shots to his feet and legs before he decided it was better to stay in the one spot for safety's sake.

He didn't know if he was thankful for the slower tempo of dance or if it was the reprieve from the agonizing blows to his shins. They stood close swaying on the spot like a few other couples, though the gap between them slowly closed as he rested his arm around her waist. They moved in time with the music and took no notice of the onlookers who were enthralled with the happy smiles that they wore. Christina was a much worse dancer than she had first let on which made John look far superior on the dance floor though seeing what he was dealing with, it wasn't much of a challenge. The best part of dancing with her –or attempting to- was the connection he felt whenever they touched, the her scent that swirled around him when he twirled her out of his arms, a mixture of heat and a perfume that smelled like old spice made every breath better than the last. Her hair grew wild with every turn, slowly falling out of the small butterfly clip that had once held it perfectly in place.

Her skin had a luminescent glow that made her seem both natural and untamed, the very life force within her showing when she relaxed, John had to wonder if it was the first time he had seen her relaxed or if it was something else. Every now and then, she'd gaze at him as she spun away. Her lips parting in her telling smile as if she knew the exact effect she was having on him. John wondered if it was deliberate, her moves captivating his attention, the sway of her hips making the idea of looking away unimaginable. Then again when his eyes stared at her face she had the same dazed look, watching every movement subtle or otherwise that John made.

As the band stopped once more he watched her turn to head back to the table, however he stopped her upon hearing the badly recorded version of '**This year's love** by **David Gray**'. Its scratchy and barely recognizable sound caught the attention of a few couples on the floor. John saw her look at him when he slipped an arm behind her back once more and reached for her hand, quickly tucking it into position on his shoulder. He held her gaze as he pulled her closer ever so slowly moving to the music while turning in slow circles around the floor. He rose and fell on the balls of his feet like a wave, though he found it easy to let a smile spread across his face when Christina followed his movements.

Christina was hardly aware of other couples joining the dance floor, their presence wasn't noticeable. As the music played in the background, Christina leaned into him so close that he could feel each of her slow, leisurely breaths. He closed his eyes as she put her head on his shoulder and in that instant, nothing else mattered. Not the song, not the place, not the sets of eyes watching like hawks and not the others couples around them. Only this, only her. He gave himself over to the feel of her body as it pressed against him, leaving no room to push a piece of paper between them. They moved in slow small circles on the wooden floor, lost in a world that felt as though it had been made for them.

Jeff couldn't have been happier watching John and Christina dance. He wished his wife could have been there to see it, Lucy had always worried John wouldn't find anyone. He remembered the nights that he and his wife sat talking about the future, guessing which one of their son's would be first to fly the nest. Naturally Jeff had assumed it would be Scott, the ladies man and eldest, but Lucy seemed to have a sixth sense about it. She had been defiant in her backing of John, never saying why; it was only a feeling she used to say. Jeff hadn't seen John as content as he appeared to be in a long time, he had a genuine happiness about him and the smile that had become mundane reappeared with dazzling consequences.

Even Christina appeared content as Jeff couldn't help but stare at the pair of them, he managed to tear his eyes away to see that Gordon and Virgil had stopped their dancing to watching the sight and even Alan looked as if he had accomplished something great as he watched the pair.

"Come on boys, let's leave them be for now" Jeff said glancing at the faces of his remaining sons that chose to congregate around the table.

They all appeared to be enthralled by the happenings on the dance floor; however Scott hadn't seen the look in his father's eyes for a while. The happy smile was shared between the two, before they began to shuffle out of the door. Jeff decided to catch a movie, it had been a while since he had set foot in a cinema with his family or most of it that was. John noticed his father leaving as he beamed over at him, almost wishing he could express what he felt, however speaking with Scott who was more than happy to tell him how pleased they were for him, John decided leaving the family to watch a movie was better than listening to the sudden gushing of his brother.

Driving back to the Ranch John held her hand, feeling her thumb tracing slow circles over the back of his hand in the dull surroundings of the car. The drive home was peaceful; neither of them said much only remarking on the scenery now and again breaking the calm silence that had accumulated around them. It was an easy silence one that didn't require words only glances that they shared and the touch of their hands was enough to speak what they had to. It was almost too good to be true as the car rolled to a stop outside the porch as they quietly made their way into the sleepy house.


	13. Send Me On My Way

"Missy I need a word" Bill hollered seeing Christina stride from the house.

It was reasonably early for her that morning, sure she was naturally an early riser but still that time in the morning was earlier than she had been all that week. She knew she had been tired and even though she was a light sleeping there was something about last night that had her feeling like she was on top of the world. That was until she heard Bill holler at her, it wasn't unusual at all but the tone he used was similar to the one he used when he tried to talk to her about personal things.

"Urm... I need to get those fencing supplies up to Rocky point so I can start the repairs. Can it wait?"

Christina knew in her heart of hearts what the answer was going to be as she shoved the truck keys back into her pocket. If there was ever one thing she didn't do it was walk away from Bill when he 'needed a word'. It was no doubt a personal talk but then again as the man shook his head and beckoned her over she was wishing that she had messed up a fencing repair, at least then she could be ripped a new one for something that was fixable and that wouldn't have her turning red at the first mention of anything that crossed close to a father daughter talk.

"Missy you know I... care" Bill said sighing, "Not care but love I guess"

"I know that." Christina said smiling as she bit her lip. "Now can I go please? I don't want the cattle getting through before I can fix the fence"

Bill mumbled staring at her. She was the most beautiful thing in his life, the stunning little girl he had raised with little help other than a few guiding words from Cookie and what he had seen her mother do. He had realised the moment Christina moved away from home at sixteen for college that she wasn't a baby anymore, she had never been his baby but even as a surrogate for the family she had lost, the woman who stood there was still his little girl.

"You know... you'll always be my little girl." He stammered, "No matter what happens I will still be here for you."

Christina watched a strong man break down before her eyes. The only man she had never seen shed a tear over anything in front of her, now stood with tears falling from eyes that had never seemed to vulnerable. The moment hit her like a freight train as she tried to come up with some funny thing to say or some kind of silly gesture they would laugh at, yet nothing came to mind as she wrapped her arms around the only man she had known as a father.

"Are you ill, is that what you're gonna say?" She asked frightened by the reply. "You're scaring me Bill, what's this about?"

It wasn't often that she would admit to something like that, being scared wasn't exactly an emotion she could or would register easily but watching a man who was the strength behind everything she knew cry, it was an earth shaking moment for her. Illness, death, hurt, pain, everything that could have possibly been ran across her mind at the moment. The slowly registering feeling of the unknown had her trying to button herself down for whatever came next though as she stared she found all the scenarios that bit more frightening. Bill cupped her face in his hands, her brown eyes searching his face as he began to smile shaking his head.

"I'm not ill, and everything's fine, there's nothing to be scared of." He said decidedly. "I just wanted to talk to you about... boys... well men really I..."

Her heart had done loops and as her chest threatened to cave in she found herself laughing with relief. She wiped her own tears away before she tried to stop the nervous and relieved laugh that broke the silence in the yard. She knew now that a fatherly talk was less heart wrenching than the many possibilities that had flown through her mind that that point.

"Missy... this isn't anything to laugh at." Bill muttered tartly.

"It is... it is when you think."

She couldn't help herself as she threw her arms around him, holding him as tightly as she could before letting go as Bill began to grumble about his reputation he needed to uphold.

"Christina, Mr Tracy told me about John last night and we've talked and we think it's only right that we talk to you two about... life."

In those words Christina had herself wondering how she could escape the talk that she was sure Bill was aiming for. It was like a nightmare come true and she had managed to avoid that nightmare for twenty years and now there she was, about to be embarrassed over someone who she didn't know much about and a man that last night had taken every possible thought from her until she was left with only one. John Tracy. She hadn't known what she felt until she was sat in that car, his hand entwined with hers as the road flew by, it wasn't until then she realised the walls she kept around her heart for a reason had been broken into a thousand pieces. She knew she was falling or had fallen but then she wouldn't have been the first woman to delude herself into thinking something like that, especially with a man like John Tracy.

"Life is good Bill, I don't need a talk about it... trust me it will save the embarrassment for both of us." She said with a grin.

"No, I have to say something Christina. Your father would have wanted me to, especially because of last night and..."

"Bill please, John Tracy is a wonderful man. We danced last night and that's it, all that happened and all that will." She said not wanting to admit the words she was thinking. "He's intelligent, smart, and funny and has enough money too probably buy America. He wouldn't be interested... and you know the age old 'too good for me' saying, so don't worry about it."

It was never the first time that Bill wanted to have her head checked out. Why she didn't see herself as he did was beyond his imagination but to assume that someone was too good for her, it was enough to make a man yell. He placed his hands firmly on her shoulders staring at her and he almost believed that she believed her own words was it not for the unmistakable smile every time she mentioned his name.

"I wish you would see what I see Missy, and if anything, John Tracy isn't good enough for you."

Bill had no issue with the Tracy's... well most of them that was, however it still didn't take the feeling away that no one was ever going to be good enough for the woman who stood in front of him smiling. He already knew he had the part of over protective father down to an art but it didn't take away the feeling that any man who sought for her attentions was never going to be good enough.

"Come on Bill, he's... amazing" She said before she flattened her hand to her mouth.

It was Bill's turn to laugh while she turned the deepest shade of red he had seen on her face for quite some time.

"Amazing huh... you like him then? And don't lie to me; remember I know when you lie!" He warned her.

"I wish you could have seen it Bill, the way he danced, the way he held me and turned me around the floor." She said as she twirled Bill around under her arm, "I can't dance, you know that but with him it didn't matter. Just being there was... now you think I'm crazy huh?"

She raised her brow questioning the smile that was plastered across the older man's face. She didn't know how long the stood in silence just staring at each other, trying to find the right words to say. Even as she found herself in his arms once more the mumbling of his words into her ear about love and life, how much he loved her and the tears she fought to keep to herself spilled from her eyes once again. She wasn't the world's most put together woman when it came to feelings, sure at work she could keep everything in check and not let the slightest thing show but when she was simply herself the facade of a poker face was difficult to keep up.

"You'll always be Cinderella to me Christina." He murmured using the back of his hand to wipe away her tears, "Now run along and go fix that fence, holler if you need help though"

Bill felt her hug him one last time before she ran off toward the truck. It wasn't difficult to know how he felt about her but putting it into words was like ripping his heart out, nearly impossible to do. He could already remember the day he ran beside her, his hand holding onto her bike seat just in case she fell. The cries of laughter and a mother who looked fit to cry on the porch seemed like yesterdays memories to him as he wondered back toward the barn. He knew Mr Tracy was already there as they had spent most of the night in talks about what to say or do, which left only one talk left.

* * *

John sat in the dimly lit kitchen waiting for his father; he needed to talk to someone, anyone about last night. The images were still firmly engraved in his memory the words that he didn't say and those he did, the feelings that he didn't know he could feel still ever present even as he sat there clutching a cup of steaming hot coffee. He found himself falling back into the nights dancing with fond memories, the way she felt in his arms, how the bruises that now covered his shins didn't bother him at all and even as they parted ways for the night, the thought of seeing her again that morning had him waking up earlier. It had been perfect in every sense of the word but now the morning sun had broken and he was left wondering. He knew everything good had to end at some point but he couldn't shake a feeling that maybe some things were meant to last. The way things just happened, the way that nothing appeared forced or uncomfortable; it was all so easy almost too easy he thought as he pondered over every moment. He stood for a moment glancing out at the yard, nothing much had changed. The odd car had moved places and the horse that had been running about in the paddock was now out of sight, he was staring out at the scene when John saw his father deep in conversation with Bill who appeared apprehensive at best. He watched as they entered the house their feet heavy as the conversation stopped dead.

"Dad, can I have a word?"

"John, Bill and I wanted to have a word with you too."

John winced as a sudden nervousness overtook him. They both wanted to speak to him which was never good he thought feeling his heart beat a little faster as Jeff took a seat and Bill shut the two sliding kitchen doors, he had never seen the man do that before so by no leap of his imagination he knew it wasn't a good thing. John stared at the two men, his eyes darting from to the other before he gulped.

"Last night John, you and..." Bill said before dropping off and looking toward Jeff.

"It's about... Christina, you and her... she and you... you and any woman." Jeff stuttered.

"Dad, Bill, now isn't the right time."

Jeff held his hand up shaking his head. If there was ever a good time it was now he thought hoping that he hadn't left the whole thing too long. His own son had never looked as happy and Jeff found himself talking to Bill for half the night. Jeff knew that dating for his son's wasn't easy but there was still the problem with what he had seen that night.

"John, ummm ... there are times between men and women ... times between men and women when things grow... feelings... errr... well..." Bill muttered.

"Bill enough said."

John openly winced as the man started talking, it sounded like a fatherly talk accept this time it wasn't only his father that was doing the talking. There was Bill trying to say something too. John could see the two men fumbling for words and it was a little funny had he not been the one to whom they were trying to talk.

"No son, I want you to understand something." Jeff muttered, "I want you to know that it's okay."

"What's okay?"

"It's okay to love someone." Jeff said wringing his hands. "Your mother was always much better at this stuff."

"Dad... please, just leave it for another time."

John was surprised at how nervous he was sitting there, his mother was the one who had spoken to them all about girls at some point, either as a joke when he thought of Gordon and Virgil or a serious conversation but this, it was like trying to nail custard to a tree. It was just plain unnatural and awkward for everyone sitting there.

"Maybe I'm not being clear... John, you're my son and I love you."

"I know that Dad."

"No... No you don't. You don't complain. When your brothers get leave from work you don't often go with them. I just want..."

John watched his father stand and pace for a moment. He had never really been the party type, some might even say he was a little anti social when it came to stepping outside the comforts of home but he had his telescope, the chance to write more books and a world in space to explore. Exploring the world beneath his feet he had chosen to leave to his brothers a long time ago, he didn't want the attentions of being Jeff Tracy's son when he went out. He just wanted to see things in his way and not try to fend of advances from some girl who thought he was a good match or good looking enough to want to sleep with.

"Dad its fine, I like ...working. It's easier in some ways." John said before biting his lip nervously.

"What your fathers' trying to say is... well... he told me what he saw last night."

John openly winced again, so this was about the previous night. He wondered just what it was that had been seen but he realised that nothing apart from dancing and talking had occurred. It wasn't as if Scott had brought someone to a hotel room and someone had walked in, or Gordon and Virgil had been caught playing a prank. He was completely innocent of anything yet looking at the two men he was sure they thought he had done something.

"Wow... I didn't do anything Sir" John almost whispered, "Dad come on, you know I wouldn't do anything."

"Oh... urm you though we meant that you and her"

Jeff was cut off as Bill jumped from his seat. The man was positively incensed as he almost ran toward John. The man wasn't as fast as he once had been however it didn't stop the man moving quickly.

"You better not have anything like that John Tracy. You're not married! You're not even dating! She never said you two did anything"

John found himself scrambling around the side of the table trying to avoid Bill's grasp though after a moment's cat and mouse chasing, Bill appeared to run out of steam, the man straightened his jacket before yanking out another chair and dropping onto it. He gasped for air before slamming his fist against the wooden table the creaked under the pressure.

"I'm getting too old for this" He mumbled, "The question for me is simple... what your intentions toward Christina are?"

"Bill, I'd never do anything like that. And that's sort of what I wanted to talk to dad about."

Jeff glanced toward John raising his brow. Well at least that was one son who would do the right thing and hadn't been corrupted by his eldest. One out of five sons who seemed to know what he was doing he thought smiling a little wasn't too bad.

"How did you know who was the one for you?" John asked puzzled by most things.

Jeff was taken by surprise at the question. He was happy he didn't have to keep twisting himself up in knots over trying to say something that didn't ever sound like it was supposed to but he wasn't exactly sure how to answer the question either. Jeff looked at Bill who motioned for him to speak, the man seemed hurt or at least a little wounded at the question his son had posed. Certainly not a look that offered any answers to the question posed Jeff thought.

"I met Lucille under the stars." He said fondly remembering the moment he had seen her. "There was a little place a few miles from the base I was posted at, it cooked some good food and it just happened that one night, your mother was there with some of her friends and I was there with mine."

Jeff couldn't hide the smile that the memory brought to his face. His wife had been everything to him but she had been taken away too soon, though there had been no better years than those spent with her by his side. The feelings of love and adoration had never left him despite wondering how he was going to cope without her by his side. It had been his biggest worry throughout the years, he always knew his family came first but with his job and trying to get and keep the Thunderbirds up and running the family he adored suffered with his absence and he could never truly express how much he owed to his eldest children for raising the youngest without much help from a father. With that thought in mind he continued thinking about Lucille and the first moments they had met.

"We spilled drinks over each other and after apologising, we talked." He laughed nodding, "All night actually, but we knew from that moment we were in love. It might not have suited everyone but we knew there would be no others."

"But how... was there a switch that said something or a sign or something?" John asked.

"No switch or sign John. Just a feeling. One that I can't even begin to describe to you, though I wish I could." He said, "Why do you think that you've found... your one?"

"If I knew I wouldn't be asking dad." John said sitting back in the chair. "She makes me laugh by just smiling, when she's with me I don't need to speak to feel comfortable, she makes me smile because she does. It was last night... something just... clicked. I don't know what to do. There's the business and then there's work. I can't just bring her into that. I wouldn't be with her I would be working... it's too complicated."

Jeff could only grin at John who wore the same face he did when he was working on something difficult, though it was the way he relaxed when he spoke about her, when he danced last night even from across the room Jeff could see his son was happy. Perhaps he was being a foolish old man to believe that things could just click but then that was the exact thing that had happened with Lucille. They talked for hours about nothing and everything and there it was. Something just clicked.

"Son, how is your work any more demanding than the FBI?" Bill asked calmly. "She can be here for a month then gone for three. It's not complicated, everything can be worked out but you need to answer the question... do you love her? And does she love you?"

John looked almost horror stricken at the last words. 'Does she love you?' That he couldn't answer, the way she looked at him last night he thought she might but then he was never very successful with the ladies. He didn't take after his brothers who could charm them or make jokes until the girls couldn't keep straight faces. No he preferred meaningful conversations, talking about the stars not what kind of lipstick some movie star was wearing. He sighed and shrugged more unsure than ever.

"I think so... my part I'm sure. I just don't know how or why. It's been just over a week and I can't figure out why I feel like I do."

"Before you start thinking about work commitments and the bigger picture you have to find out what she feels. Does she love you John?" Jeff found the idea amusing as couldn't keep his mouth shut.

The mere thought that one of his sons was in love had the old romantic in him coming alive. John buried his face into his hands. The bigger picture, was there even a bigger picture? He wished that there would be a math formulae or some kind of mechanics to the thing. Some play book to go by, something that had instructions a step by step guide but nothing. Even the most incredible minds hadn't managed to come up with a book that straightened feelings out to a satisfactory level.

"What about you Bill... have you ever found your one?"

Jeff nearly silenced John but he couldn't hide his curiosity on the matter. Something about the man had always made him curious, the way he did things and the way he seemed to keep everyone at arm's length apart from two or three people. Jeff understood that Bill was a very private man, much like himself but he had never seen anyone so able to love those two or three special people and hold others at arm's length.

"I found my one a long time ago. Tatiana was her name. She was the most beautiful woman you ever saw; her smile was much the same as her daughters." Bill said smiling warmly, "There isn't a day that goes by that I don't regret not saying what I felt. You see, just after her child was born she lost her husband, a Lieutenant Colonel. He wanted a son but the day that girl was placed in his arms there wasn't a happier man alive."

"That day is always a blessed one" Jeff added smiling as he remembered the day Lucille had told him about their son's.

"He wanted a son to teach things to; like most fathers do but the moment those two saw each other... I don't think he ever thought about a son again. After his death things were tough, this place was being built from the ground up, Tatiana had lost a husband and I'd lost my best friend. I thought I was doing the right thing taking care of mother and daughter, but things happened and we found we shared more than a mutual attraction. My biggest regret John, is not telling her how I felt from the start, what I wished for us... the three of us."

John watched the man wipe a tear from his eye however by trying to cover up the action only made it more obvious.

"So I stood and watched the only woman I ever loved raise a child and then become ill and eventually die. That day she had me sign adoption papers, I can't remember how long we talked but we agreed it had been foolish to let time slip by. She died that night and all the chances I had or could've had... were gone forever. So if you think... even for a moment you love Christina. You tell her. Don't lose something and realise too late what you should've done!"

John stared at the man as something clicked in his mind. Bill's gaze was solid his eyes filled with emotion but never wavering in their steely eyed gaze. He didn't know why he hadn't figured it out sooner but then thinking about it there was still a small chance his assumption could be wrong no matter how small that was.

"Tatiana is Christina's mother right?" He asked watching as Bill nodded.

"Does Christina know... about you and Tatiana?"

"She knows, we've never spoken of it but she knows."

Jeff was lost for words as he looked between John and Bill, the two men seemingly working something out in their heads. Jeff himself found the story heart breaking, he was glad his wife's loss was sudden as he knew even though he wished they had more time together, had she been ill he wouldn't have been able to handle it. Not that he handled her death very well but in his own mind he had taken a long time to realise that quickly was far less painful for him personally than slowly.

"Bill... you're the closest person to her. You know what she feels... what she doesn't say. Has she said anything about... you know."

"John, I can't give you that answer." Bill murmured contemplating telling him the truth though he could only grin, "But we did speak of it early today, you need to ask her yourself. Be honest with her."

"What if she says no? What if she laughs? What..."

"John, it is a just what if's. Now you wouldn't question yourself about this if it was to do with the stars. You wouldn't second guess things if you were dealing with work. Think of it that way." Jeff said smiling.

If there was one thing John loved it was the stars, Jeff knew how John tried to make everything relate back to them. It was like he preferred to be in space than to have his feet on earth, and sometimes Jeff couldn't blame him. Space and stars were the very things that held mystery for John and even if sometimes his feet had to hit the ground for him to understand the real world, Jeff never kidded himself that his son preferred space. He wasn't sure if he was about to send John off on a mission to hit the rocks or one that was a little smoother sailing.

"The worst she can say is no John. I doubt that... I see the way she looks at you, the way she lights up when you're around. There is only one way to go about it." Bill said.

Jeff gulped feeling the sudden pang of emotion in the back of his throat as John strode from the kitchen confidently. He noticed the smile that encroached on his features as he disappeared from view. It wasn't like any other he had seen before; it almost made him want to turn back the clock to when he was just the baby wrapped in that blue blanket.

"Funny really." Bill said watching as John walked across the yard. "I gave Missy the same speech this morning. Though this one had less tears and at least he didn't laugh as much."

Jeff chuckled shaking his head again as he braced himself against the sink.

"I'm sure you did well, girls must be easier to talk with."

"You think Christina is a girl? She looks like one but she isn't exactly a girl." Bill said, "But thanks for the heads up last night. I think we did quite well if I do say so myself."

Jeff laughed and sighed pushing his seat back under the table as he stared out of the window. Quite well felt pretty good at that moment, it was never an easy conversation to have although dredging through the past had brought back some fond memories although Jeff wasn't sure those memories had been as easy on Bill.

"I never know what to say to them about this sort of stuff. Lucille used to deal with the female aspect of things but now... between girls, and Alan acting up I never know what to say or do. Anything I do say or do is wrong or causes an argument."

"It's just the age Jeff, Christina and I had some good arguments over the years. Alan isn't a bad kid, sure he had a mouth on him and an attitude to match but it will all work out, you just need patience with him to sit and listen when it's the last thing you want. I learned that the hard way, and I still don't know how to be a father figure to Christina. I think I was relieved to know that she was more interested in keeping herself in my world than me being in hers." Bill explained.

"You've done a great job Bill, Chris is one hell of a woman."

"You're boys aren't so bad either... sure Alan's a little strange around the edges but the other four are fine young gentlemen." Bill muttered, "I wouldn't want anyone else to be... interested in Christina."


	14. Just Another Day

Duke sat quietly in the buzzing office space. It was odd having an entire floor devoted to a Federal team though with disused offices and storage areas making up most of the space, the necessary privacy was easily attained. Well that, and a rumour that the three man team were in the bad books didn't hurt too much. No one asked too many questions and for the most part other agents preferred to keep their distance. It was the distance and quiet that Duke had wished for the moment he walked through the thick glass doors into the bull pen, unlike most days it was total chaos with phones ringing off the hook, the local mayor demanding hourly updates and as many reporters outside the front doors as there were agents working the case. Even with the tall glass windows that streamed light in, the calm and quiet never found its way beyond the glass.

He sighed remembering Reese was out arguing the case for slimming down the task force, but just like the desk jockeys that had no idea how things worked Duke knew that arguing wouldn't help. He sat mulling over the recent news that the team had received. The latest attempt had been on a federal judge, fortunately the bullet had missed her heart by millimetres however the woman's life still hung in the balance. Yet he had made the early morning trip to the court house listening to the witnesses, getting the information he wanted and needed although what he had wasn't much more than he started out with.

Just like usual Duke had already spotted the route he would take in and out of the federal court house, where the cameras were, the exact route that he wouldn't be detected. He assumed whoever had taken the shot was using similar thinking although it was the escape that had him pondering over the reason. It was clearly shot on the security tapes, the masked man smiling from behind the balaclava in the most chilling way as he walked calmly out of the building in amongst the screaming and chaos. One shot, one probably fatal shot by the end of the day but still walking out of there either took a rather large brass neck or he was taunting them.

However that wasn't the only thing that nagged at him, something else about the man had him frustrated. It was as if he couldn't see what was obvious but the more he stared at the tapes the more he couldn't see what he was looking for. He slammed his large fist heavily onto his desk making a few files jump as an empty coffee cup tumbled to the floor. He copied down his findings or the ones he knew were solid quickly as Reese returned red faced and extremely flustered.

"Didn't go well then?" Duke asked not looking up from the sheet he was scribbling on.

"If by well you mean, we are all working on this and there isn't any communication between agents who think this case is a step up the ladder, then yeah it went perfectly well." Came the sarcastic reply, "Oh and they're bringing in Little Ricky; the locals have it in for the guy ever since his crew became top dogs in this gang land. So now we're dealing with cops who have an axe to grind with anyone who looks like a suspect"

"This is insane; the right hand won't talk to the left. Do those idiots want the case solved or a higher body count because this guy..." He stopped glancing once again at the tape that was running across a few flat screen TV's, "That's it! These guys are pro's. Ghost may run the ship but he has a team working for him, skilled just like us."

Duke pointed to the security tapes that were playing on several screens on a wall. His hands rummaged quickly through the papers that lined his desk, Reese watched the man send papers flying, case files tumbled to the floor as the man began making a bigger mess than the office already was.

"Job took less than five minutes to execute. One shot, and he left by the front door.. THE FRONT DOOR!"

Reese watched as the camera's played a slow motion view of the action and escape, it was unreal he told himself knowing that the level of skill required for such an action and the planning narrowed down the suspect list considerably, but the few hundred names they had were still too many to run if they wanted results soon.

"They're taunting us... the _'look at us we are better and can't get caught'_ types." Reese said flicking the monitors off.

"There are only a few guys that could do something like that and less who would smile for the camera!" Duke announced, "Remember the last case with Shep before he was re-assigned?"

Reese nodded remembering his mentor fondly. Agent James Sheppard was a straight arrow, a very quiet and secretive man and of course his departure five years ago had left them missing a key link in their team. A t the time Shep's letter explaining little more than he was leaving for another assignment was a mystery but like all challenges they faced they had no other choice than to get on with things. It wasn't easy running the three man team and stepping into the role of Boss but so far things had worked out with only a few sticky moments. Reese always suspected Duke knew something more than he was saying but then he knew better than to push for an answer.

"A New Scotland Yard case at Shep's London base, five murders tied by the Modus Operandi aka M.O. Yeah I remember why?" Reese said thinking back to the case they had looked at.

"The murders were all high profile targets with the assailant walking out the front door, after smiling for the CCTV footage." Duke stated tacking a few documents to a nearby board. "The same guy is here now. The case went cold we moved on, it's got to be the same guy that's here now."

Reese seemed to plough through the connections as the two men stood eying the boards with crime scene photos, documents and scraps of paper joined by a few random words and lines. To a passerby it wouldn't seem to be anything other than a jumble but to the three agents that worked in that office it was a short hand that the three understood.

"Good catch, best lead we have. Get Luca in here to interrogate Little Ricky before those cops hang him." Reese held up his hand as he saw the coming protest on Duke's face. "It's her week off I know, sanctioned by the big wigs but we need her for this Duke. I need the team together for this. She's the best one to interrogate quickly and efficiently."

There was no question about it that they worked well as a team, even down to the smallest details however Duke knew how tired they all were, he was feeling the pressure himself and if Ghost hadn't appeared, he knew that he would have taken a week or been forced to take one like Christina. He knew she had time to recover and after a shooting they were all given mandatory leave but even he couldn't deny the team worked better together than apart.

"You got the team Reese, you always have."

The team was the only thing Duke had. He had no relatives, no girlfriend and few friends and although he partied most weekends nothing much came of anything. Work was his home most nights and of course nothing could beat a post case drink at the local bar with the very people he thought of as family. Though as he dialled the number for Christina he couldn't help but wonder if it was wise dragging her further into the tangled mess that was threatening to over-run the state let alone the country. He sighed shutting off his phone as he stared at the time stamp. Early morning wasn't his favourite time of day and a drive out there would give him the much needed a break and the chance to fill her in before they returned to the chaotic building.

He quickly dodged a swarm of people on his way out glad for a small reprieve in the day, it wasn't often that he didn't care for the amount of people around but this case was the rare time when no one had any idea what the other was doing, and in so people were investigated twice, statements were lost and of course everything was fair game to those who wanted the quick career boost. His mind buzzed all the way to the car and even as it lurched forward he still felt like they were missing something big.

The drive was the same as ever as he dodged traffic driving erratically around cars as he sped down the highway. It was only after he turned off the busier main roads that he realised his traditional driving methods might not be the kind that was expected. He saw a few select gestures as he sped through several different speed zones always being at least twenty above the limit. He passed through a few towns each getting smaller than the last before he turned onto the dirt road that led him to her home.

Duke had always treated the place like a home away from home, the friendly atmosphere, good food and company was sometimes what he craved. All three had crash pads in the city, small one room apartments that held the necessary items for an overnight stay but everyone apart from Duke had a second home that was home. He often wondered what it would be like to have a place to go that didn't feel like a cage, though splitting his time between work, the ranch and Reese's place when he was allowed it was a system that worked for him.

It didn't take long before he was pulling up the in yard that he knew well, the ranch house towering over the expanse of land flanked by a few trees and mountains. There was nothing odd happening other than the blonde John Tracy striding across the yard, it was odd but then the man had a look about him that spoke of instant trouble.

"Hey... HEY JOHN!" Duke called out grinning as he abandoned the car. "Morning my friend, got a minute to spare?"

John grimaced, hearing the voice that had shattered a moment earlier that week, he wasn't in any rush to get cosy and speak with Duke although dressed in a black suit and shades John didn't fancy taking his chances in running either. His eyes glanced up at the morning sky for a moment before turning and attempting to smile at Duke.

"Sure" he replied, "What's going on?"

"Well I'm here to collect Luca for work... but I did call this time." Duke said grinning, "You seem in a hurry, where you heading?"

"Nowhere... I ... urm, just getting some exercise." John stammered looking up at the man, "So how long do you think Christina will be at work?"

Duke chuckled shaking his head before resting an arm around John's shoulders; John felt himself being steered back toward the house unable to shake off the man's arm that almost pushed him to the floor.

"Not sure John, it could be an hour could be a week... depends."

He simply nodded as he followed Duke into the house. John couldn't quite put his finger on why the man made him nervous although there was no doubting that Duke had a way to make others nervous without even trying. He saw his brothers appearing bleary eyed and maybe a little hung over, John hadn't noticed too much where his family had gone to last night though it seemed they paid the price for the enjoyment, though he was sure his father would soon take that matter up with them. If there was ever anything that they shouldn't do it was have a hangover, 'People need the Thunderbirds to be sharp, not fighting a hangover'. John could hear his father's choice words already in his head as he pulled a chair up to the kitchen table. Duke simple sat down pulling a bowl of cereal in front of him not even acknowledging the others, though the man's presence was enough to sober up every soul in the room.

"Who are you?" Gordon asked rubbing his head as he too sank into a chair. "Shouldn't have had the extra drink before we left."

Duke simple glanced at the boy, he should have said man but then again the red head seemed to be around the twenty age mark. Duke wasn't much of a talker to those he didn't know yet John Tracy was a different story. Ever since his interruption last time he visited Duke was trying to make it his personal mission to know the man and judge for himself why he had caught the eye of Christina. The woman wasn't an ice queen, he knew that better than most however when it came to men her track record was less than perfect. He recalled a few dates that had tried to kill him and her, then there was the flower shop guy, seemingly nice and all the rest but after finding out that long distance relationships needed work he found solace in a blonde bar maid and in so he watched Christina end that sharply.

He felt a certain attachment to both Reese and Christina, they were his two best friends and bar three others including Lady Penelope they were his two partners and the only people who knew him well. Reese was more like a brother to him, the one he could count on for a joke and a laugh when things were tough, much like Christina who was like a little sister to both Reese and himself. She was the beautiful and deadly one, the kind who didn't advertise skills and always had something to surprise you with which brought him back to the current state of affairs within the house.

"I am no one" He replied shovelling a spoonful of cereal quickly into his mouth.

"I need an aspirin." Virgil muttered dropping in beside his brother.

"Third draw from the cooker"

John looked up hearing Christina's voice. She leaned against the door kicking off a pair muddy boots as he watched her blow past them jumping up the stairs. He heard a door shut before a rather loud conversation started about finding a cure for a hangover. Several half baked solutions flew around including more alcohol; yet as amusing as the conversation was John found himself wanting to say what he had originally set out to that morning. Duke seemed to be oblivious until John made a move to go upstairs, the man stared like cat about to pounce on prey but the appearance of Bill and a quick glance and nod had the man turning back to the bowl in front of him.

Guessing it was the only chance he was going to get that day he climbed the stairs, shuffling himself nervously to her door. John would have knocked had it not been for the fact the door was already open. He didn't set foot inside her room as he cleared his throat loudly ending up coughing for his trouble; he saw her turn to face him as she pulled a suit jacket on. Her sparkling smile once again returned to her face as she continued to dress, slipping on a pair of well worn black boots that appeared to have steel toe cap. John winced as his mind wondered toward the damage she could do with something like that, although there was no doubt in his mind the recipient would be most deserving of the damage.

"Hey... urm... you need something?" She asked trying to focus on what she had been asked to do at work.

Interrogation was easy enough; she could read people like a book although it did become slightly more challenging when things were strictly by the book. In the field getting information sometimes required creative thinking and although her training gave her the skills to creatively find the answers, the FBI was slightly more restrictive though she hardly minded when it was as easy to read a face as it was to use any other means.

"No... No I was just... I wondered if I could talk to you for a minute."

John hated the way he sounded, like a kid asking the prettiest girl in school to a junior dance. He could normally find a way around avoiding the women if he was out at a social event, sure sticking to his father's side worked well until Lady Penelope joined them and after that he found himself trying to blend into the background though it rarely worked.

"Sure thing." She said finishing up tying her shoes. "You mind if I keep dressing?"

A simple question although John wasn't sure if he wanted to escape back downstairs now or at least turn around.

"No... No carry on. I just wanted to say..."

At that moment he saw her fasten a belt around her waist while looking at him expectantly, the words he wanted to say swirled around his head fighting for his lips to move and make them into a coherent sentence yet he found himself mumbling under his breath. He saw her turn away and pull a file from a draw before looking right back at him.

"I just wanted to say be careful." He finally blurted, "It doesn't sound good what the news is reporting and... well... keep safe at work."

So he wanted to mentally slap himself for not saying it out loud. Three little words that were causing him more trouble than telling his father he managed to spill coffee on the console of Thunderbird Five. The simple statement that was on the tip of his tongue but wouldn't go any further threatened to flaw him in one foul swoop.

"Don't worry; I can take care of myself." She replied unsure if he thought her completely incapable of watching out for herself or he was genuinely concerned for her safety. "Besides I'm female, and I have a gun. Need I say more?"

John laughed grinning as she fastened a black tie before looking herself over in the full length mirror. Immaculate was all he could think as she stood there in the black suit with all the accessories that one person could want, the belt, the tie and the waistcoat almost had him thinking she was about to go to some kind of high class business meeting rather than the FBI. Christina found the suit comfortable, like an old glove that had just the right fit. It wasn't that she was against dressing down for work and she did occasionally turn up in faded jeans and an old t-shirt but with the day as an unknown, her suits were more stylised for practicality than look.

"Just be careful okay... if anything happened to you..."

"Stop right there John." She said placing a finger to his lips, her heart fluttered for a moment trying to make sense of what the rest of his sentence might have been. "I'll be back soon, besides I'll call and let everyone know I'm fine later but I've a job to do."

John nodded trying to figure out just how to say what he wanted. Her eyes soft and caring as ever gazed right back at him as she dropped her hand back to her side before stepping away.

"You promise you'll call?" He asked.

"Deal, I'll call and you go have fun."

She smirked before moving past him and down the hall, file in hand as she moved quickly. She knew Bill and Cookie cared about her, they probably worried too yet that was the reason she never discussed more than was needed. She realised a long time ago that some details of work were better left alone and telling the two men would only worry them more, which made it a strange sensation to realise that someone she had only met a short while ago showed the same concern for her safety. Tugging a door open under the stairs she pulled a black overnight bag from beneath several bits and bobs, her bag didn't contain much just a few spare changes of clothes and the case file she stashed under a clean shirt.

Christina smiled glancing at the Tracy's, each seemed happy to an extent though by the sound of things some had been a little too enthusiastic the previous night. Hearing a set of footsteps she moved from where she stood nodding at Duke as finished the food he was eating. Her hand reached out for a black box on the kitchen side, it was small and compact nothing special apart from four finger sized indentations on the top. Alan watched her as she placed her fingers in the four grooves on the lid, the box beeped before the front panel popped open revealing a gun and badge that she promptly fastened to her belt. Alan grinned as it reminded him of something he might see at home, eye scans to open doors and fingerprint access for the Thunderbird control panel.

"Going to shoot someone today?" Alan asked grinning as he nudged Gordon who promptly grumbled.

"Are you offering Alan?" She replied glancing at him before a few whispered words passed between Duke and herself.

"Can we know the secret?" Alan called grinning as John glared at him.

"We're talking work Alan."

Duke's answer was cold and stern as he removed his gun from its place on his belt. He appeared to weigh the object for a moment before pulling the slid back and holstering it again. The action caused a few nervous glances and stares though both Bill and Christina appeared unaware of the effect.

"Sorry guys, work calls today so it's completely up to you what you do... the state fair is in full swing if you want to go, just be careful and do exactly what Bill and Cookie say." She announced, "Any problems, my cell number's on the fridge, office number below that and direct line below that but if its serious 911 works well."

Scott chuckled as did Virgil and Gordon who grinned back at her and she swiftly began to walk out tossing the black overnight bag over her shoulder. Duke hovered for a moment looking at each of the Tracy's before placing his cup in the sink as Alan piped up again.

"Can't we go and see where you work?"

"Urm... No Alan." Christina said.

Alan watched Duke pull her aside for a moment, they appeared to have a heated debate about something, their voices reaching a loud whisper. It was like hearing an argument through a wall, the words muffled but you didn't need to be there to know the argument was taking place.

"If your father agrees to let you it might be a better idea than the fair." Duke told them much to the obvious distaste of Christina.

Jeff glanced between the two agents faces, Duke seemed calm and almost decided on the matter yet Christina seemed more uneasy if not a little apprehensive.

"Why might it be a better idea?" Jeff asked.

Duke received a short quick nod from Christina as he stepped forward, the man had a definite presence in a room one that could make or break a conversation, but Jeff was more concerned about the debate that had happened. His family came first now and with everything that was in the news and had happened already, safety was his main priority.

"We have no direct evidence but the fair might turn out to be a target. A large number of people in a small space..."

Jeff couldn't be sure but Christina looked as if she was weighing her options as Duke spoke, the man had a good point anyone could see that a large gathering of people might be a target however Jeff found the idea that whoever was causing the chaos would do anything on that scale slightly surreal.

"And if you come with us... you might see things that are not meant for your eyes, things that are..." Christina stopped there seeing Bill raise his eyes from a paper. "Your choice Mr Tracy."

Alan eagerly watched his father mull over the options, he stared at each of his sons who sat there some obviously eager to go and others who had the same cautious look as Christina. It took him a while although where was safer than the FBI he thought, even the ranch had been hazardous in so many ways yet the worst he could see happening at the FBI was a paper cut.

"If it's okay with you both then, I think the Bureau is the safest option."

Christina wanted to stamp her feet in protest but as she thought about it, keeping an eye on the family was perhaps the best idea. Lady Penelope had already left in the early hours and she had promised to look after the Tracy's while they stayed with her. Giving a small sigh of defeat she nodded before walking from the house. She normally had a gut feeling about something though this time her insides were knotted like never before.

"Five minutes!"

She heard Alan yell as the dull thud of footsteps was heard outside. It's like any other day she muttered to herself throwing the overnight bag into the back of Dukes car, it was then she felt the reassuring hand of Duke on her shoulder.

"Don't worry Luca." He whispered before heading to the drivers seat.

Christina couldn't help but worry as she watched the Tracy's appear from the house and head toward their truck. An extra responsibility was all she could think of as she flicked the radio on hoping to shake the bad feeling she had.

* * *

**Thanks for all the reviews guys! Its appreciated, so here's the next chapter, hope you all like.**


	15. Game Changer

Same old, same old, thought Duke as he walked through the lobby of the Bureau building motioning for the Tracy family to catch the elevator. It took two trained agents five minutes to regain the attention of the younger Tracy boys who eventually rode the elevator to the correct floor. The place hadn't calmed down any since Duke left, Reese was slowly drowning in a sea of ringing phones and files, he noticed several large case boxes had appeared by his desk and each one was overflowing with paper. Another day in life was the only thing he could think of as he walked toward his desk. He was reasonably happy that the team was back to its usual state, the three agents fighting crime together and with a bit of luck they would close the case at the same time.

Christina had listened intently to the case details on the way there, her mind was still buzzing trying to connect the dots but still some of the dots were too far out for any pattern. She found herself trying to concentrate on two things at once, not a difficult task normally but when a second line of thought became the Tracy family, the brain cells were most definitely getting a better workout than normal. It had taken Duke and herself long enough already to grab the attention of Alan and Gordon, she hardly minded the wide eyed stares at the building and the people, but today wasn't the day she wanted to be messing around playing baby sitter. No, today she wanted to get on with work although with Jeff trying to keep his son's out of trouble, the five against one ratio didn't look too good.

"GUYS!" Duke hollered over the constantly ringing phones. "Understand this, you sit, you shut up and you don't say a word until asked!"

It was slightly harsh, Duke knew that but when it came to working a case the last thing he wanted was a distraction of six people wondering around and potentially finding things they shouldn't. The office wasn't dangerous to those who knew how to navigate it, harmless files, computers and empty coffee cups were everywhere but the wrong combination of buttons or simply an over curious hand could reveal certain parts of the office that were better left undiscovered by those who still possessed innocent minds.

"But you said we could see how things worked?" Alan moaned.

"They can." Reese said appearing from the far end of the room, "Agent Luca... Little Ricky's arrived, interview room three."

Reese wasn't overly happy at the presence of six complete strangers but he had to get alone. Even he had considered having his wife and daughter camp out in the office until things were better he knew there was no use in worrying them. If he had them at the office then it wasn't just his work that would need an explanation, though Reese didn't see Bill or Cookie around just the family of Tracy's that seemed to be more trouble than one person could manage.

"Maybe your friends want to see an interview?" Reese suggested with a mischievous glimmer clearly present in his eyes.

"Sure we'd love that!"

The unanimous answer was final as Christina grudgingly grabbed the file from her bag before tossing her bag under her desk at the far end of the room. Four desks were neatly arranged at one end of the room with another four holding computers and gadgets at the opposite end, the computer desks were comfortably tucked away in an alcove large enough to be classed as a separate room while the desks only holding paper and files were in plain view for everyone. Reese shrugged as he saw Christina make clear her annoyance at his suggestion. Who needed words when you had a glare that could kill at a thousand paces he thought as he followed her out of the door and back into the elevator. The ride was icy cold as they stopped on a busy floor, Scott watched as several cuffed men were paraded past them before being sat on available seats that lined most of the walls. The place reminded him of his first day at high school, everyone knew where they were supposed to be but only the select few knew where that was.

"Follow me people" Reese yelled over the noise.

Christina had already placed herself by a door that bore the number three. They watched her thumb through the file she held not even flinching as she snapped it shut. Reese shuffled them into the mirrored room; one by one he stood them close to the back wall.

"They can't see you, if you want to leave say so, what you see or hear doesn't leave this building and anything you see or hear is at your own risk, clear?"

"Oh Crystal!" Alan replied as he moved a little closer to the mirror.

"Now what are your names?" He asked.

Jeff rattled off his son's names pointing to each of them for clarification, although Reese was already moving toward the blind covered mirror. Names were names and if he had to rattle off five different names to find the one he wanted it wouldn't have been the first time.

"Ready?"

The eager face of the Tracy's made a nice change from the stone or nervous faces of those who normally waited behind the mirror. Lifting the blind Reese thought at least two of the Tracy's would make a dash for the exit but to his surprise only a few gasps were heard, alongside the age old 'are you sure they can't see' question. Nodding Reese shut the door as the only light that seeped into the room came from the mirror, the room held a steel table and two chairs. One chair was filled by Little Ricky, a short stumpy man who looked more pleased that scared, off to the side of the room was a cop. His badge was visible handing from a chain around his neck, yet there was no sign of Christina.

"What's she going to do... talk to him from the other side of the door?" Alan asked grinning.

"She's waiting for you all to become ... settled." Reese said smirking back as he picked some lint from his suit jacket.

"Why?"

"You'll be unsettled by the time she's finished." Reese muttered grinning, "Just wait and see."

With that the door opened and Christina stepped into the interview room. Compared to the cop Christina appeared small, though she held an inch or so on Little Ricky she still didn't look tough enough to get anything more than a stare out of the guy. Alan wondered just why she was even in the FBI, sure she appeared capable of inflicting harm but anything more than that; well Alan didn't hold out much hope for her especially looking at Little Ricky.

"I know you didn't do this Little Ricky"

"So why you drag my ass in here Chika?" Ricky spat, turning his nose up at her.

Just another smart mouthed cop in a suit, not really worth the time being there he thought sneering at her. Christina already had enough of the guy and she hadn't been with him five minutes. Another tough looking idiot, one of many that she interviewed or interrogated depending on what they wanted and how fast they wanted it, but today was Little Ricky's lucky day, information was needed however her usual tactics didn't apply. She was the federal Agent bound by rules, not the Agent that worked for Lady Penelope who could bend rules to make the process a little easier. Today thought it was mostly shock and scare tactics, coning them into believing something but still it was as straight laced as it could be, simple and easy.

"I said I know you didn't kill those people, but he doesn't." She said motioning toward the cop in the corner. "They don't outside ... trust me, they don't care about you" Christina said with calm expression on her face.

"But you do huh, you care about me" Came the forthright and sarcastic reply.

Ricky sniffed before casting his eyes to the floor smirking as he shuffled in the uncomfortable steel seat. His hands were free and not cuffed which surprised him and of course by the worried look on his arresters face, the cop didn't agree either. He was leaning against the wall, looking down his nose at both of them while muttering to himself and chewing on a piece of gum. Ricky had been arrested three times that month by the same cop, something he wasn't fond of but the man had an un-natural obsession with blaming every bad thing that happened on him but still Ricky didn't mind. It gave him more credit than the cop knew and now with the FBI involved they couldn't imagine what it did for his street credibility.

Reese smiled behind the mirror watching as Christina pulled the chair out from the other side of the table. Spinning the back to the table she straddled the chair dropping the thick case file onto the dull metal structure. The noise didn't even cause a reaction from the suspect, although Reese noticed a few flinches from the Tracy boys who stood watching with a fascination he rarely saw. He watched as Christina just stared at the man, her expressionless face and still body making the people behind the glass more nervous than the suspect. Reese was used to it, then again he was used to taking a coffee break depending on which way the interview/interrogation was going.

It wasn't something he enjoyed putting people through but in some cases Christina's darker side was the only option. There were times when a simple look of hers could have someone spilling their life story; the gentle graze of her fingertips across a shoulder could have even the toughest nut crying for his mother while telling them everything. It was very much a judgement call when working for Lady Penelope although both Duke and he knew how she hated doing her best work which she often called her worst. His mind was brought back to the present as he found himself looking at the youngest Tracy boy.

"Why is she waiting?" Alan asked looking up at Reese.

Reese smirked at Alan seeing that a few of the Tracy brothers didn't like the waiting game. He peered at their faces, their interest seemed genuine as well as the nerves that were clearly visible to a three year old child let alone a trained agent. He chuckled before glancing at the mirrored glass and returning his gaze to the boys.

"Nervous people make mistakes." He said distracted by the silence that had fallen in the interrogation room. "Also Luca read's people better when she can see them. Lie's, truths, it's why she is on this team, along with some of her other talents. The more nervous little Ricky is the better the chance he'll slip up but its finding the right buttons to push."

Alan nodded craning his neck to see what was going on, but still the cop was leaning against the wall and Christina kept the expressionless look that had a definite creepiness to it.

"I don't give a dam about you" Christina said flipping the file open as she laid out several photographs of the crime scenes. Alan jumped back into his brothers as Reese laughed hearing the silence break. They watched as the shiny steel table was turned into a rainbow of red, pink and yellow as Ricky glanced at photos.

"Tell you what I do care about, catching the killer."

"I told you I didn't do it." He said glaring at her before his eyes travelled to the mirror behind her.

He smiled while checking his teeth and running his tongue over them. The pearly whites didn't have a blemish to them and was somewhat strange to see on the heavily tattooed man. He was short and stocky; someone who Alan wouldn't want to meet on a dark night but no one in the room apart from the cop who looked about ready to kill seemed the least bit bothered by Ricky.

"I know that, but I also think you might know who did"

"No way man, it wasn't one of us" He said defiantly folding his arms and pushing the chair back with his feet.

Christina nodded though she wasn't about to take the guys word for face value, she knew better than to trust a local gang leaders word. However reading him like a book she could see his adamant belief that no one in his crew had anything to do with the killings of the cop's or at least the ones in the pictures.

"Okay I'll give you that Ricky. Whoever did do this isn't a gang banger, but he's been working your territory pretty good lately..." Christina knew enough about the inner workings to see that no one really messed around with gang territory unless they had something to prove. "He's making you look like a real suspect here; then again he makes you look like the Easter bunny. This guy is nothing but trouble to you."

"He won't last long then." Ricky said smirking.

"Come on; look around you... from where I'm sitting it looks like he's done alright so far. I mean if I'm you, I'm thinking I want this guy gone for good. He's the reason you're in here with me, he's the reason why all those little things that got swept under the carpet are about to crumble the house of card's you've built, but that's only my thoughts. What do you think?" She said as she put the photos away.

"Yeah, you know so much Chika then tell me... who is he?"

"Probably somebody you'd least expect. Probably wouldn't even think twice about him because he really doesn't seem all that dangerous. At least not on the surface, but he does get violent." She said describing what she could tell from the reports and images that now plagued her mind.

Virgil shrugged as he watched through the glass, it was strange to him. He had seen it on TV, he had even watched a few live court cases but nothing was like this. He thought about what Chris had said but he couldn't understand how she could speculate on who it was.

"I know a lot of things, but you don't have the guy. How does she know what he's like?" Virgil asked figuring his brothers would get around to it eventually.

"We know his work." Reese explained, "Everything this guy does gives us a more accurate picture of the man." Reese raised a hand to silence any more question. "Quiet please"

"Oh we all violent chicka." Ricky's eyes widened a little as his head tilted to one side.

"Naw naw naw, not like this guy. This guy goes from cold to hot in a heartbeat, and there isn't anything in between. Takes everything really personal, thinks everyone's trying to put him down. He's always looking for a fight even if he knows he's going to lose it."

"So he stupid"

"Maybe... but he's aggressive and manipulative. Think, you give me something and maybe I get you out of this." She said as she pulled a few of the dead gang member photos from the file, placing them one by one in front of him. "He's white, he will be older than you and he works best alone, he tries to be the authority but really he has no control. You know somebody like this I know you do!"

"There was this guy, white guy you know, killed my brother a couple of months ago." He said turning the photographs over.

Christina watched him closely knowing she'd hit a nerve. She knew the other law enforcement photos wouldn't stir the reaction but those of his fellow gang members. That was different. Much like law enforcement counted every single officer as one of their own; a gang had a similar structure. You hit one of them then it was guaranteed that you had taken a shot at every member of the gang.

"Carlos" She said not needing to look at the file in front of her.

"Yeah, he was my second in command."

It was easy to see emotion when he spoke of Carlos, another sore point she thought as she made a note at the side of one of the typed sheets of paper.

"Brother is a junkie so was Carlos. I see the similarity" The cop said shaking his head smirking.

Like lightening Ray-Ray was out of his seat and lunging towards the cop who flattened himself into the corner. The man's face showed fear and terror as flailing arms reached out in his direction. Alan was sure Ricky was within reach of the cop as he heard Christina yell.

"Hey, HEY HEY!" Christina quickly grabbed his hand digging her fingers roughly into the flesh and bone. Little Ricky screamed as he was forced to his knees in seconds by the one handed action. "SIT DOWN... DONT EVEN THINK ABOUT IT! Talk to me, forget him. I'm the one helping you out here."

Christina pushed him back to his seat easily; her hand stayed on his shoulder for a moment before she released her grip and returned to her seat opposite him. Gordon didn't even see her flinch as she moved; it was as if it was second nature to her. Then again from what he was seeing she had a way of an ice queen about her, cold and most definitely unfeeling though he was surprised that Ricky was paying more attention to her than the blustering cop in the corner.

"Alright, let's try this again. Your brother Carlos, what happened?"

"Man I told the cops it wasn't a gang thing and they didn't believe me" He said shaking his head before once again casting his gaze to the floor.

"That's coz you always tell us the truth don't you Ricky." Said the cop who now had a crazed look about him.

"I'm serious man"

Christina readied herself for another quick disarm but she was pleasantly surprised when Ricky stayed put in his seat. His gaze was angry but his still form was all Christina was bothered about. The cop wasn't helping her efforts and of course it didn't help that most of the cops around had tunnel vision when it came to gang violence, gangs were easy to blame for all the bad things that happened and of course were the main target for every eager cop that wanted to advance quickly up the ranks. A good bust and it automatically thrust the lime light their way, opening certain doors that could lead to a good promotion.

"Ricky, don't rise to it" She spoke softly catching his gaze for a moment, "So who killed him?"

"If I knew his name, he'd be dead already"

Christina nodded before putting the handcuff's quickly around his wrists.

"If you find the guy before us... send him our way. We have a welcome wagon for him."

"He won't make it that far Chicka."

She gathered the photos up and walked out unhappy with the result she got but it was better than nothing. Leaning casually against the wall Christina watched as Little Ricky was escorted out, her eyes darted around for a brief moment before resting on a single brick on the wall. She stared for a while before pushing the door open into the mirrored room.

"He knows more than he's telling." She said with a sigh before looking angrily towards the cop that had been in the room, Reese was sure the cop would make a scene when Christina strode toward him. "You didn't help in there, tunnel vision is blinding you so before your department loses another cop to them, why don't you just cool those heels and let us help."

Reese glanced between the two seeing the dead stares before the cop left muttering a few obscenities under his breath. If that wasn't enough to show his feeling the door slammed shut behind him as he left Christina standing in the clinical hallway. Its red brick walls and muted yellow walls were off putting at the best of times.

"From what I've read... it seems like a big game hunt." She said quietly. "Started with the gang members, took out a Mafia big wig, moved on to the Local cops and now Federal Agents."

"What about the Judge today?" Reese asked puzzled, "Same guy or different?"

Alan looked at Christina; her face appeared thoughtful as she shook her head. She seemed to be weighing something up although he couldn't figure it out, from her display a few moments ago he realised that there was far more to her than the country girl he had first thought.

"Up until now the killings have been... messy, impersonal. Killing has been the main aim for this guy; he's learning and gaining confidence with each kill." She said softly, "The Judge, she was more of a show piece, a look at me display. Two different people Reese and I don't think either of them are Ghost."

Silence fell over the three agents as they all appeared thoughtful; it wasn't often Alan saw three people looking directly at one another without passing more than a nod or shrug between them.

"Big game, they got no idea who they're messing with now... so guess we're next on the food chain." Duke said standing quietly next to Christina, the obvious grin curling the sides of his mouth. "Who wants the bull's-eye?"

"Flip for it?" Reese said dreading his options. "Guess I'll go tails"

Reese flipped the count as their faces visibly cringed as coin fell on the floor; it spun on its side for a while before falling flat. Tails stared up at them as Duke grinned, punching Reese lightly on the shoulder.

"Looks like it's my lucky day today" Reese replied chucking.

"Damn straight." Duke grumbled as a sudden look of disappointment crossed his face. "So when do you want me shot? This afternoon... tomorrow?"

"Were going to work the local tips, see what we can dig up for a day or so." Reese said looking a little concerned. "Get your ship in order, and cover all bases Duke. If we do this, he's gonna strike your way first, and I don't want any mistakes or loop holes."

"Boss come on, I don't have a ship, my place is the sofa here and hell if I got Luca watching my back what more protection do I need?"

A few snickers were heard as Duke beamed, Scott and John were enjoying the new experience as much as the rest of them but Scott found the idea of being a knowing target insane. He had heard of many ways to catch someone but actually using yourself as bait that was one of the crazy ideas.

"Reese... I don't think he'd take a baited trap. " Christina said, "He's too smart for that, our team... we will be classed as a federal agent, above us its state officials, politicians, visiting dignitaries."

Duke seemed to realise something as he fled from the hallway, they each followed quickly unsure of what was going on although as Duke riffled through his desk draw emptying it onto the floor, Duke appeared more horror stricken than anything. Gordon couldn't quite tell but the man seemed to go a few shades lighter as he turned to face them all. A letter was clutched in his hand, the paper looked expensive and the handwriting was something that could only be described as perfect yet what surprised him more was the letter R below what was unmistakeably a crown.

"Royalty... British Royalty. In two days Her Royal Highness Princess Royal Rebecca will arrive in Tennessee from Washington DC on a state visit, to a hospital funded by the charity group she runs."

Jeff watched as Duke scanned the letter he held tightly, the man was showing a small hint of fear as he glanced wildly at the others as if willing an answer from them.

"Warn her security detail and get them to postpone the visit!" Reese snapped as he reached for the nearest phone. "Ghost could cause an international incident here."

"Boss." Duke said sheepishly, "She's already here... she arrived early to visit a friend before anyone knew she had left D.C. It might be too risky to move her right now."

Reese glared at Duke for a brief moment; the two men shared a look that could kill more than one person. Jeff seeing the potentially fiery situation murmured for his son's to leave the room though none of them appeared to want to go, it was like herding cattle that wouldn't move although eventually he managed to get his elder sons to move, and soon the rest followed as two sliding wooden doors were closed behind them.

"Spill it." Reese said as his hands held onto the brass door handles.

"She's a friend Reese, we met years ago when I was a Seal, and she treated me for injuries when she was serving as a medic."

Reese sank into his desk chair letting his head hit his hands with slap. Could this day get any worse he thought casually listening to Duke's account of how he knew the Princess. Had it been any other day Reese would have been more interested in the how's and where's but now the Princess was just another target, a target that if killed could cause a serious incident that wouldn't only sour American and British ties but a lot of other countries as well.

"I'm sorry Reese; I thought we would have this sorted before now. I thought it was only DC, I only got this today." Duke explained watching Reese jump up when he waved the letter he had pulled from his desk.

"Shep, get him back in here... explain every last detail and contact security for the Princess, explain everything." He said decidedly, "LUCA!"

Christina had been outside pacing as the Tracy family sat on a few plush sofas, if anything their office space was well furnished with sofas, chairs, tables and the room directly adjoining held the desks and most of the screens and hardware. Only having been back at work for a few hours she was already starting to get jumpy, for one Duke knowing about a Princess was enough to raise suspicions but then with their pasts as they were, it was difficult for anyone to judge just who they had each come into contact with. On that thought the harsh and cutting tones of Reese made it to hear ears as she pulled open the sliding dividing doors.

"Yes Reese?"

"We need to sift through the sightings and phone lines... there isn't enough here for us to get anywhere without more evidence." He said pointing to their desks, "Get pro active people!"

Scott sat on one of the sofas staring at a few piles of stacked paper; it looked like bank statements, credit card receipts, telephone bills and things of a similar nature, a lot of the everyday papers that they all had to deal with at some point.

"Hey Agent Reese, anything we can do to help?" Scott called glancing into the busy office.

Reese seemed surprised at the offer though he was quick to accept it, the paper trails were the most time consuming of all jobs they did. It was sometimes a welcome relief from the horror filled day they might have had yet there were never any gruesome details or photos in the paperwork, just the mundane things that sometimes brought a case to its knees or lead nowhere which was more than likely. Reese handed a few stacks of papers to each of the Tracy's with instructions on what they were looking for and several highlighter pens, he grinned at Jeff who looked rather stunned at his son's eagerness to help out though he too reached for a stack of the papers and began looking. Christina found herself smiling as she stole a glance in the Tracy's direction, their heads bowed as they concentrated on what was in front of them only occasionally muttering something before nodding or shaking their heads.

The sight was a surreal one and had each of the three agents looking up at the Tracy family now and again with a warm smile or look, though never getting into any mischief Christina was slightly more at ease than she had been earlier that morning. It was a time when the minutes ticked by in a comfortable silence, however after about an hour Christina found herself trying to concentrate on a profile that had as many holes in as a sieve. She had worked magic on the first killer; practically having an entire file on the unknown subject, even the second shooter relating to a case Shep worked was starting to take reasonable shape. She had the basics down and quite a bit of detail from the old case files yet Ghost was a blank. The basics were there but then any agent with half a brain could have written what she had done.

It horrified her to even think that she needed more information; more things to investigate and the way things were going it appeared she would get what she needed sooner or later. She sighed seeing everyone was just about settled into their work. It was nice to see the calm sight yet when the sound of the elevator surprised her, the Tracy's were relatively oblivious to the noise despite the subtle ping had the three agents up on their feet, the leather straps that held their firearms were lose as they walked toward the office doors. Scott was the first to notice the defensive stance of Duke and Christina.

The two agents stood either side of the glass doors their hands resting on the grip of their guns while their shoulders were pressed against the concrete wall. Reese appeared to busy himself in a file taking little notice of who was walking around or even appearing to notice that Duke and Chris had taken up defensive positions. It wasn't until a friendly smile crossed the man's features that Christina and Duke relaxed stepping out to be seen by the person.

"Still hiding in the shadows, you should teach your agents better manners Gov'nor!"

A tallish man had already pushed open the glass doors letting the faint smell of bacon waft into the room. The man had dark brown hair cut in a military style, with Van Dyke style facial hair and what appeared to be tan lines from where a pair of sunglasses might have been. He seemed relatively none threatening with an English accent as well as what appeared to be a half eaten bacon roll clutched in his hand. Scott watched as Duke and Christina went back to their desks smiling happily.

"Nothing ever changes around here... barmy man to catch, targets everywhere. I was hoping for a quiet state visit... not an all out red alert" Shep joked casually glancing around to see the Tracy family. "These your new recruits?"

"Part time assistants, Shep meet the Tracy's, Jeff, Scott, Gordon, John, Virgil and Alan. Tracy's meet Agent James Sheppard." Reese said watching as Shep shrugged and raised the bacon roll in a half salute gesture. "It's good to see you again Shep."

"I would say it's good to be back but your nut case is threatening my assignment." He told them seriously, "Left the Princess with my best people, so where do you want me to start Gov?"

"Stop calling me that." Reese chortled pointing out to a spare desk that was surprisingly free from any clutter. "Besides you're back, you're boss now."

"Not a chance, strictly here to lend a hand. You're the Gov now Reese, just tell me what needs to be done."

Shep had just about sat down when Reese answered the desk phone that was constantly ringing, in a matter of seconds the man's face fell from a happy relaxed smile to something more serious. His features almost became stone like as he intently listened to the voice on the end of the line. The office fell silent when Reese put the speaker phone on; a mechanical voice began rambling and caught the attention of everyone who could hear.

_"**The black limousine is leaving now... I wonder how far it will get... gone back for an update with his wife... stop for a picture opportunity on the way out."**_

Shep glanced toward Duke and Christina. "The Mayor was just leaving when I arrived" He whispered faintly, it was a safe assumption as the all nodded yet the mechanical voice kept talking. Shep was already making an effort to trace the call but even as he did so the rambling voice didn't make much sense to them. Even Jeff could hear it yet it sounded just like a creepy prank call rather than anything to be taken seriously.

_"**Heaven bent to take my hand and there's nowhere left to turn"**_

The four agents seemed to understand the meaning yet it wasn't until Shep pulled his cell phone from his ear that any movement was made. Jeff jumped as Duke and Christina burst into a run, their guns already drawn as the slamming of the door signalled they had left the room.

_"**Lead me through the fire to a long and painful fight ..." **_

Shep could only guess the meaning of the ramblings although; painful fight and fire didn't need much interpretation to realise that it wasn't going to be good. It had been a long time since he had to decipher the mad ramblings of a lunatic but now there were two agents running toward something unknown and two more listening to a crazy mans words.

"Tracy's don't move and get away from the windows!"

Reese left the voice on the phone repeating its self over and over as he hustled the Tracy's from the windows. Shep began lowering metal blinds when Reese suddenly began pushing Scott and John into the end room filled with screens and more desks. It was as if their feet were rooted to the spot, not sure where to go or what to do yet with Reese's firm hand shoving at their backs it was a wonder they stayed on their feet long enough to move into the office.

"Move boys, work with me here... get in there!" He yelled.

Jeff moved with his sons quickly, each of them slightly more terrified than the last as Shep reappeared and flick on several monitors. What looked like pictures from traffic cameras began playing; the congestion of the streets below was in high definition and then; they all saw it. The black limousine, stationary three cars back from a red light.

"They won't make it Reese, call them back." Shep said suddenly as Duke and Christina appeared as running figures on one of the screens.

"They will get there"

Reese's tone didn't inspire confidence in anyone as they watched the screens with baited breath, seconds ticked by as they peered at the screen. It was all too real as cars came within millimetres of a collision with them yet the two agents kept on running, dodging traffic and people that were in the way.


	16. Justice Is Served

The Mayor was sat leisurely inside his armoured vehicle. It had been another productive day visiting the FBI to find out he knew less than he did the previous day about the investigation. His city was coming apart at the seams and the agents he was supposed to be able to rely on had nothing, or nothing they were sharing. He had muttered several obscenities to his wife, blowing off steam in an effort to feel like he was more than just an office chair warmer. People needed to see action; they wanted him to be able to say progress was being made although nothing was happening. He was too busy cursing and glancing at the papers he had been given to see it, an empty van at the side of their transport. No driver, no passenger just an empty stationary florist's van. Had the Mayor not looked up from the pointless sheets of paper clasped in his hands he wouldn't have known what hit him. Yet one sheet of paper had caught his attention; the three words in bold type now had his blood pumping faster than ever before.

**Justice Is Served**

Three letters that made him glance out of his tinted window toward the empty van. He knew in that very moment something would happen, something bad.

"Get outta here. Fast" He yelled to anyone who would listen. "Drive away. Now!"

But the light was still red and the traffic was at a standstill like always at that time of day, besides his wife was talking amongst two body guards not noticing anything else. The Mayor shuddered watching as there was nothing they could do. He knew something terrible was going to happen but he knew it was hopeless to try to escape.

Duke and Christina were both running. Only three blocks away was their target, three blocks between them, the mayor and his wife and of course a total and complete disaster. People going through their daily routines stared as the two agents raced past. Duke was a few paces in front as he rounded the corner followed closely by Christina; he knew she could easily keep up with his pace although an angry woman pushing a pram had managed to slow her down some. There always had to be one massively helpful citizen he thought dodging a crowd of chuckling school girls. The pavement flew beneath their feet until Duke could see the Mayor's limousine, the stationary transport seemed unaware of the danger that was looming.

Duke heard himself yelling. "Get out of there... get out of there now!" He had started running blindly through traffic toward the limousine. "Get out of there!"

Christina followed him, their legs working like pistons as they darted through both fast and slow moving traffic, their guns by their sides as their arms waved wildly for anyone to see. A few attentive drivers abandoned their vehicles but then others just shook their heads and carried on as if two armed federal agents running through traffic was an everyday occurrence. The Mayor spotted the unusual scene, trying to point it out to his otherwise occupied bodyguards. He tried to open the doors but they were jammed shut by adjacent cars and the usual sun roof had been replaced with a solid piece of metal for safety reasons. Ironic really but it didn't help him any.

Then, the van suddenly exploded and the entire street was lit up with a brilliant flash. The recoil threw Duke and Christina back into a newspaper stand as the intense heat from half a street away slammed into their faces.

_Oh God no, no_.

The office screens flashed with the jerky yellow and white pictures as the Tracy's watched the explosion from the comforts of the desk filled room.

"Oh my god!" Shep muttered seeing that he and Reese shared a look of horror as the screens showed the smoky pictures.

"Christina..." John gasped.

John was gripping the edge of a desk; it was the only thing keeping him from hitting the floor. His legs suddenly felt like jelly while he struggled to take a breath. He could see his fingers turning white as they dug into the desk. The camera's still showed the jerky smoke filled pictures with the odd flickering of flames. He was barely aware of the buzzing activity around him, voices sounded distant and if it wasn't for the feeling of his father's steady hand he would have still been standing in the same spot. John was beyond knowing how he ended up sitting in a chair, he could hear his brothers talking though the more he tried to focus on what was said the more he found their voices scrambled.

Jeff knew by the state of Reese and Shep it hadn't gone to plan, he didn't even know there was a plan but seeing the two men fly around the room dialling numbers it was clear they knew what they were doing. Jeff knew there was nothing they could do to help; Thunderbirds or not the entire thing was beyond their realm of understanding. Jeff shuffled his sons around John in an effort to keep them away from the screens that were replaying the explosion. John looked like he would pass out at any moment and Alan wasn't too far behind either, the boy pointed and mouthed something that Jeff couldn't understand as he stared at his youngest son.

"They're gone!" Alan gasped peering at the screens.

"They wouldn't dare leave this earth without clearing it with me first!" Growled Shep who appeared to be angrier than horror stricken.

Duke and Christina both stumbled to their feet swaying as they pushed their hands against their ears to stop the ringing. Duke stared at Christina for a while; he could see her eyes darting in every direction as they held onto each other steadying themselves. It took a few moments to gain back their balance but neither of them could hear anything below a yell. All they could do was watch helplessly as the limousine was engulfed in flames. A slow burn at first, the small hope that there would be survivors fleetingly crossed their minds. Then it exploded. Duke fumbled for his phone, he hit speed dial for the office as he stared at the scene.

"We've got a full scale 911, the limousine just blew up. I repeat the limousine just blew up. We need medical assistance right now!" Duke shouted into his phone.

Reese couldn't have been happier as the voice of Duke rang loud and clear over a speaker phone.

"Sit rep!"

"It's... fire's spreading, mayor's transport on fire. Bruises and scrapes on our end. About to go and take a look."

"Fire brigade on their way and ambulances following." Shep shouted across the room. "Be careful!"

Duke shoved his phone away as they both ran toward the limousine. It was bad. It was very bad. Flames raged out from the van in every direction, dense grey and black smoke billowed over the street. People everywhere were screaming passersby were lying dazed on the pavements. A car rested upended in flames as the acrid smell of smoke and burning flesh reached their nostrils. Duke began pulling car doors open unable to hear much below screams and echoing of odd noises. Christina scanned the area for a moment trying to get her bearings, her head felt like it was about to explode too as she staggered cautiously to a car. She could hear Duke yelling FBI over and over again as she made her way through the chaos of cars toward the limousine. Its left side was completely gone, the smouldering carcass of what was once classed as an armoured vehicle continued to burn.

Everything was covered in dense, flaming debris. The black soot covered everything in sight and was still falling from the sky as they neared the van. There was nothing either of them could do other than listen to the chaotic silence that surrounded them. They each yelled into the surrounding cars, shielding themselves as best they could from the flames listening for any response. Nothing came back, no sound, no cry for help just the crackling burning of everything the flames touched.

Christina stood there listening and praying. Her head pounding like a drum as she yanked another door open; she found nothing but a lung full of smoke and the sight of bodies that would have appeared human only moments ago.

_Somebody say something back to me. Scream, shout for help somebody please!_

Coughing and moving from car to car they both had glazed expressions. Knowing what they would find would be worse behind each car door moving closer to the blast area, the ghostly sight of their pale skin covered with soot and ash contrasted horrifically with the orange flames of a still burning fire. They worked their way past the cars, no one was alive and those that had been lucky enough to escape had already been pulled from the scene by helpful citizens. It was all she could do to keep looking through blackened windows, pulling open doors to see the damage and hope that she could hear a voice, hope that she could find someone alive.

Duke found himself coughing and choking on the thick smoke, it wasn't until he stood directly in front of a dark red truck that the first signs of the fire and rescue came to their attention. Two suited up firemen took over, ripping open doors before going toward the next cars. Christina couldn't believe it; it was completely surreal to her as she found Duke. They made their way away from the flames and smoke more fire department engines and ambulances arrived. Christina was slightly oblivious to who was moving around, she watched for a moment as Duke tried to fight off a well meaning paramedic although he soon let the guy check him over before pointing toward her. Christina looked at the man, her eyes vacant for a while until the paramedics fingers touched her arm. Like a jump start to a car, she snapped back into the reality that was truly horrifying.

"Do that again and I'll rip your arm off."

Duke laughed spluttering through an oxygen mask when the paramedic began prodding and poking again. He knew Christina never liked fuss from people, he recalled a few occasions when she fought through wounds often making them worse but that was just the girl he knew. Duke was much the same only stopping for pretty serious things much to the dislike of Reese, though Shep was border line with hospital visits; sometimes he took their side and others Reese would find him with an extra voice backing his cause. It didn't take long for the paramedic to give up on Chris; Duke was amused at the threats that poured from her mouth when a hospital visit was suggested though the medic didn't seem half as impressed with her choice vocabulary. They both sat side by side watching more and more people flood into the area, first responders kept arriving followed by the federal agents who tried to coordinate things that didn't really need it.

It was a long walk back to the office; they passed terrified and quizzical faces that didn't fail to point out that they looked like hell. Their once black suits were now grey with ash and stunk with the odour of smoke and burning flesh, it was enough to make seasoned agents gag as they entered the building but neither of them took much notice. 'Not our first rodeo' Duke mumbled glaring at a few gawkers, in the sombre mood of things Christina found the energy to form an amused smile as they stepped into the empty hallways on their floor. It was a home away from home, a place where the mood could change faster than MacDonald's could sell burgers.

Pushing the glass doors open neither of them raised their eyes to see the stares that were aimed their way, Duke was still mumbling to himself and managed to dodge the Tracy family only to walk into a wall made of Reese and Shep. The three men took their conversation toward one corner; Chris knew the drill, the line of questions and the order that they would be asked. It was sometimes a daily occurrence or depending on their luck an hourly one. For a split second Christina thought she was home free when she was in reaching distance of the paperwork she had left earlier. Well, that was until she was swept into a crushing embrace. Standing there she didn't quite know what to do with herself, being still seemed to be a good idea as she thought over the past hour.

John hadn't known what to do in the moments before; he had looked to his father who simply shook his head saying no to the question John was trying to ask. Thunderbird or family involvement, Jeff simply couldn't allow it no matter how heart wrenching the look was from John. Even Alan seemed sure that they should do something although Jeff couldn't see anything could be done, however the moment the two agents walked through the doors Jeff was powerless to stop his son from going to the one person he knew he loved. It was hardly surprising the lack of reaction from Christina; she seemed completely stunned as John threw his arms around her. Jeff watched as still Christina made no move to reciprocate the action he could see his son's nervousness and almost felt it for him, Jeff knew all too well what it was like to know a loved one was possibly injured but never be able to do anything about it. John held her tightly, thinking the worst for those few moments after the screen flashed in front of their faces felt like the longest he had ever lived.

"Christina... are you okay?"

"Leave her alone, this is a working office not some pick up bar!" Reese snapped glaring at John.

A red faced John pulled away immediately as Christina moved past him squeezing his hand for a moment. She stilled held a glazed expression as she sat silently at her desk before pulled a new file from the box and placed it in front of her.

"He was only asking if I was okay Damien." Chris replied smiling warmly at John.

"Yeah if that's what it's called these days." Reese said glaring at John, "And Its Agent Reese to you, don't forget that Luca."

Christina couldn't help but stare. Was she really hearing things right, Reese telling her to call him agent? Her mind was buzzing with information from the explosion and now Reese was going off at her. Things got stressful there, it was a daily occurrence she knew that much and the odd spat did occurred from time to time but John had only hugged her. He was flying off the handle because of a hug; her mind struggled to make sense of it as she tried to keep her own flaring temper in check.

"Agent Reese... what the hell has gotten into you?" She asked standing up.

"What's gotten into me... hell I should be asking you that question. You can't bring your latest toy around here Luca, it's unprofessional." He snapped again, "And as for you Tracy, keep away from my agent! We don't need... distractions."

Shep was stunned watching the scene. The five years he had been away was starting to look like a lifetime as he tried to get a handle on why Reese was acting like a kid. The man had been the picture of control up until the display of affection, it took all of a thought for him to see where Reese's anger was directed and as much as it would have surprised him five years ago, jealousy was the only reason he could think of.

"Leave my brother out of it, he was only seeing of Chris was alright." Scott said, "Let her decide if she wants John to stay away or not."

Reese had an air of anger about him as Scott stood in front of John. He was protective of all his bothers and his father, it had always been that way and they all knew it. Scott had played a parenting role for as long as he could remember, always worrying where his brothers were and what the risks were but seeing someone angry at a member of his family for an unknown reason, he wasn't about to stay quiet and let things go. John seemed lost for words, which wasn't unusual given he normally went out of his way to avoid any confrontation.

It happened in the blink of an eye. Scott barely had time to see Reese make a fist before the man flew through the air. Like lightening Scott found himself staring up at Shep's calm face, it took him a moment to realise he was lying on the floor; he was surprised that it didn't hurt as Shep knelt next to him leaning a little closer.

"Stay down mate."

Scott took the man's advice as he looked up to see Duke motioning for his brothers to stay where they were. Even as Shep knelt over him there wasn't a threat, the man held out a hand to him to stand up after a few moments. Scott was more than glad as he rejoined his brothers, John looked lost still but Gordon and Alan were trying to hide some smirks as they stared behind him.

"Sorry about that mate, it was for your own safety you understand." Shep said motioning to the far end of the room.

Reese was sprawled out on the floor with Christina stood over him, they both had looks that could kill but was surprised everyone was the moment she offer her own hand to Reese. She didn't know why she had reacted like that, the moment Reese had raised his hand something clicked and she had sent Reese sailing clear across the room. John watched carefully, Reese's look hadn't changed from before as the man batted the helping hand out of the way.

"Don't ever do that again!" She warned coldly turning away trying to shrug the whole incident off, "Other than that lets at least get some work done we don't have time for arguing."

With that said she marched herself back to her desk only briefly looking toward John and Scott with an apologetic look. Her hands reached for different files until she landed at the file that held nothing more than the basics, Ghost's file was virtually empty up until then; it was like something clicked together as she thought about how Reese was acting. The actions, the conversations with Duke on the way there, the little bits of information she couldn't string together somehow now began making sense to her. She knew earlier that day she needed more information, more crimes to be committed but this was enough to build an entire file on a person who had stayed relatively unknown until then. Reese was stood in the same spot, he could hardly register that the hand which had thrown him clear of Scott Tracy was that of Christina, he had seen her in action before but there was something worrying about being on the wrong end of her skills. He knew he had crossed the line with her and the Tracy's but then she seemed lost in a file as he grumbled under his breath to the now tense room.

"Pyramids... it's all about the pyramid structure." Christina muttered loudly.

"She's lost it." Alan said staring at her wondering if she had.

Christina wondered toward the main boards that held pictures and photographs of victims, there were never any direct connections just the flimsy cross over's that only one or two had. Some ate at the same place that week, others worked in the same building but there was no tangible connection to every single one of them. Several pairs of eyes watched as she drew a triangle on the board, John wondered if the explosion had caused some unseen damage to her although as she dissected the shape into three the Shep began nodding.

"So you think Ghost is the top man, the other two are just doing what he tells them to...?"

Shep raised his brow as Christina didn't answer him; she seemed focused on something only she was seeing although both Duke and Reese didn't seem alarmed by her lack of conversation. The air in the room was tense; Shep could feel the difference already given that Reese still appeared to be coming around from his trip across the room. John watched her scribble Ghost on the top third of the triangle as Chris tapped the board hesitantly.

"Yeah, and this attack doesn't strike me as being the 'smile for the camera man'" She said.

"You mean 'Smiley'." Duke said, motioning toward the Tracy's. "It's clarification for the newbie's in the house."

"Yes, it isn't Smiley or the one who does the low level messy stuff."

"Messy man also know as... Mr. Messy."

Duke grinned as he heard a tense chuckle lighten the mood a little; nicknames kept everyone on the same page and of course gave some light entertainment to a job that sometimes could get far too serious. Normally Reese was the one who came up with the code names but the man had completely lost it for some reason and barely managed a laugh at the joke, let alone thinking of anything remotely funny.

"This was Ghost." Christina muttered still looking straight at the board.

"How the hell did he have access to the limo? It's guarded." Reese muttered with the scowl still apparent on his face.

"Mechanics, friends, body guards. The list is long, not to mention anyone who the Mayor has had dealings with over the last few days." Duke said.

"It wasn't an organised attack; the blast took out more than the intended victims...I don't think he meant to light a whole street up." Chris explained as she stared into space, "It was sloppy... Ghost if anything is meticulous, this was a strike at something... they mayor for sure but something has happened to push him to get his hands dirty."

Reese seemed to start talking quietly to himself as the others stood in silence trying to make sense of what was going on. Gordon and Virgil were desperately trying to follow what was happening although the mention of a pyramid structure had them talking among themselves. Virgil managed to grasp a small understanding although trying to explain it to Gordon was more difficult when he hadn't quite got the whole picture himself. Reese glanced up at the group as he pointed to a screen.

"I got it." He said, "You mean like a televised 'we're getting close' would push him?"

Alan looked confused for a moment before coming to the same conclusion Reese had.

"He watched it; the thing that was on the TV. The press conference!"

Christina raised her brow in surprise; she tilted her head looking toward Alan who looked like he had found the right answer to a long and gruelling puzzle.

"Nice catch Alan."

She couldn't hide her smile, she was both impressed and shocked given Alan was right perhaps she had underestimated the boy but then he hadn't given her much to work with. The press conference had probably angered Ghost and perhaps given them a way to tip the balance in their favour. Apparently she wasn't the only one who found his comment both surprising and correct as Jeff stared open mouthed at his son for a moment before grinning.

"Wait you were saying pyramids before... why?" Gordon asked unsure how it related to anything.

"Pyramid structure. You have the top man, a right and left hand; they all have people working for them, and those people have other people." Christina tried to explain as she continued drawing on the board adding a larger and larger base to the triangle as they nodded.

"The people who we've caught are all low level monkeys, the contacts that Mr Messy and Smiley have. The second in commands are the killings that are at higher level. Like the Judge, the police and the agents that have been targeted." She explained.

The shrill ringing of a phone caused the four agents to fall silent; Reese looked at a phone located at the side of the room, it had flashing buttons all over it however one flashed red. Reese visibly winced as he moved across to answer the phone; it was clear to everyone that the person on the other end was bellowing as Reese held the receiver as far away from his ear as he could. The phone call only lasted a minute or so with Reese mumbling yes and no at various stages before looking back toward Duke and Christina.

"A whole other kinda hell is about to reign down and we need a plan." Reese said glancing at the room. "Deputy Mayor wants to know how we let this happen."

Shep rolled his eyes as he dropped into the nearest available chair knowing that the top brass would now be looking for answers. The years he had been away felt like days now, it was like he never left or at least things hadn't changed much. He was glad to see the old team still together, if there was anyone he was going to trust it was the three agents that he had been in charge of years ago. Now though Reese seemed to be swimming in deep water but even so Shep had the upmost confidence that the man could handle it. Reese had always been the agent for diplomacy and good well planned thinking though even that failed sometimes.

"Boss." Duke said looking toward Christina for a split second, "If Ghost reacts like this to a press conference then how about we give him a main target. Someone to focus is anger on. Someone like me?"

Christina shook her head, there was too much risk involved for her liking and although she had no say on the orders they were given she could smell a potentially bad idea a mile away.

"You think he'll take the bait Luca?" Reese asked her.

"I can't be sure of it but yes there is a slim chance. Only if we can focus Ghost's attention on Duke." She paused for a moment, "But I don't like the idea, it's too much of a risk. We have nothing on this guy, no face or name and he has others working for him. Not enough man power to provide enough protection and..."

"We have your profile; have confidence in your work Luca." Reese said coldly.

Sometimes Reese wondered just how Christina had ended up with the team. He knew of her past, he had read her file after Shep left but most of it was blanked out with those infamous black lines. Being her training agent Reese knew of her childhood up until a certain point and then she never spoke about the years between then and her arrival at the Bureau. Lady Penelope had simply stated she was 'good at what she did', at the time he hadn't held much faith in her but now he would gladly entrust his life to her. Still she had no resounding faith in the profile she was working today; in their years as partners Reese had only known of one occasion where she had missed the goal posts with a profile.

"Shep?" Reese asked looking at the man questioningly.

"I agree with Luca, tactically we have little man power and we all know what's at risk here."

Jeff glanced at the four agents faces, he was sure he was missing a big piece of the puzzle. He felt like he was sitting in a board meeting with some other business man trying to sell him a deal without fully explaining it first.

"However it does seem like it's worth a chance." Shep added thoughtfully.

Shep had the same niggling feeling, he could clearly see it in Christina's face she wasn't comfortable with the idea of using Duke as bait. They would rely heavily on what she had put together to ensure Duke's safety but like everyone in that office they were only human, and human's made mistakes. Christina was reeling from the words she heard Reese say, 'have confidence' she wanted to slap him there and then as she sensed the cold tone in his voice.

"Boss it's a good plan and a chance; we can stay at our crash places like we've done before." Duke said optimistically.

"Luca, do you think we've got enough to accurately pin point Ghost in a crowd?" Reese asked raising his brow toward the woman.

Reese knew her answer as soon as he saw the angry look on her face. He watched her march to her desk throwing the file that was emblazoned with Ghost at him.

"No. I don't! I am not infallible Reese. What is here I can only draw conclusions from, they are flimsy at this point but what I can tell you for certain is this..." Christina took a much needed breath as she fought to control a wave of anger that had risen within her. "Ghost watched the news reports, he likes to see his work. He wants everyone to know that he is in control; he struck out at the mayor for an unknown reason although it's possible that he wants to show dominance because the press conference put him down, said we were getting close and he wants us to know we don't have a clue."

John didn't need any degree to see that the room was becoming a little heated again; he could see Reese staring and Christina glaring right back at him.

"Then we have a profile!" Reese snapped.

"The hell we do! I need more time to work on it Reese." She almost yelled. "If you think I'm going to let Duke go into this with some half baked theory of mine you've lost your bloody mind!"

Shep groaned rolling his eyes before looking toward the Tracy family who appeared lost.

"Don't fight kids; the adults don't like it when the kids fight." He said sarcastically, "Christina take the Tracy's home and work on the profile. Duke get your ducks in order for tomorrow, and Reese let us sort out the hell that will be coming our way."

Jeff raised his brow as the man's words had an effect. Everyone appeared to listen to him; even Reese seemed slightly put out by the younger man's orders although as Duke waved a good bye Christina began throwing several files into her bag.

Chris couldn't help being furious. She needed time to think, to know she had the right profile before having to rely on it. Sure she had made things work on the fly before but this time it was different. They had all seen what Ghost could do, people never saw it coming until it was too late that was as clear as day to her. She found herself staring daggers at Reese as she strode toward the Tracy family.

"It's too bad stupidity isn't painful Reese." She said calmly pushing open the office door.

John was more than surprised by the coldness of the statement. Even Duke seemed bothered; the man stood open mouthed along with the rest of the Tracy family as they watched her stride off down the hallway. They followed soon after one by one piling into the elevator in an uncomfortable silence.

"Looks like someone got out the wrong side of bed today." Duke muttered doing his best to grin as they rode the elevator down.

"Did you see the way she threw him?" Gordon said excitedly, "I only thought that was done in movies..."

Duke chuckled as he listened to Gordon's excited account of what he had seen; even Scott seemed partially stunned as his brothers swapped their version of events.


	17. The Show Goes On

Damien Reese sank down into his chair burying his head into his hands. It had been one of the longest days of late, the Mayor was dead and he felt like they were no closer to an answer. He glanced over at Agent James Shepard's sleeping form; between them they had only managed a few hours sleep each which wasn't too unusual given the circumstances. They both needed sleep but what they needed and what they could get were two different things, none of them often got a full night's sleep he knew that much as soon as he had taken the job. His days in the Tennessee police department hardly seemed difficult when he was faced with a case like Ghost's. It was like old times he thought casually, the team was finally back together again but it was only a temporary feeling one he knew would disappear as soon as they managed to close the case.

"So?" Shep asked with his eyes still closed as he stretched out folding his arms behind his head. "Do you want to talk about it?"

Reese was suddenly startled by the voice of his former boss, he smirked realising he should have known better than to stare and think that Shep had no idea he was doing it. For a long time he had thought James never slept but the man had a sixth sense about knowing what was going on while catching a few hours. It was darn right freaky at times but then he had gotten used to it over the years.

"Talk about what?" He replied sighing as he leaned back in his own chair. "The fact that this case is going nowhere, or that I miss my daughter and wife... what do you want to talk about?"

"Don't give me that crap Damien." Shep said, "You're jealous as hell... you've turned into that green eyed monster!"

"Jealous about what?" He muttered defensively.

Shep shook his head as he stared at the inside of his eye lids, they had cracked on with work after things had calmed down a little and a minor plan was taking shape but he still found time to think over what he had seen that day. Walking away five years ago had been one of the toughest choices he had made, sure his new job in British Protection Command -courtesy of Lady Penelope- was good and he even enjoyed it most of the time. Playing bodyguard to the British Princess Royal he thought would be a right pain in the backside, he always imagined a spoiled snob like woman who would prance around like she owned the place however he was pleasantly surprised when he met her. She was the complete opposite of what he had imagined in the beginning, though it didn't stop him from wanting his old job back. He missed his friends, the family that he had come to know better than most could wish but the one thing he hadn't seen coming exploded yesterday.

"You're seriously going to give me your American run around act." Shep tutted. "You've forgotten a lot Hardy, that's the name you and your partner adopted but I see nothing funny about today. I only see why you are jealous, the reason is John Tracy."

Reese winced at the mention of the man's name, Duke had hinted toward a possible attachment but he had shrugged it off assuming that Chris wasn't going to be interested. His mistake, but he could hardly figure out why it bothered him so much. He knew she was a woman, one that made her own choices and of course he realised that at some time or another she would eventually meet someone but still he couldn't understand what he was feeling.

"It's no act James... I don't understand what the hell came over me; I was ready to kill the guy's brother! That isn't normal for me."

Shep smirked; not normal weren't quite the word he was looking for although he guessed that flying off the handle for no reason wasn't exactly the Damien Reese he knew. If anything the man was cool, calm and collected when it came to work, they all were but his display earlier had completely thrown that idea out of the window.

"Oh you understand alright, you just don't want to admit it to yourself."

"Admit what, how can I admit anything if I don't know what I'm supposed to admit!"

Reese had an idea what Shep was driving at, he knew the idea was probably right but it threw the rest of his life into the jumble that his mind refused to sort.

"You're protective of her." Shep said in a monotone, "You haven't admitted it because you haven't had to, now there is a man who appears besotted with her and you don't like other people playing with your toy."

Reese was in half a mind to slap his former boss; it couldn't be true, could it? Only an hour's drive from the office he had the perfect loving wife and little girl, the white picket fence and the life that was about as exciting as watching paint dry. His daughter went to the best school in the area, his wife played a stay at home mum, it was all he had wanted from life and he was happy with it. Home was never much more than the odd family drama and helping his daughter with her homework, there were no interruptions of people trying to kill anyone and even when he went away on work he always knew home would be the calmness that he had sought after a long case.

"She isn't a toy, this is Christina we are talking about and I'm not protective!" Reese snapped.

"Belt up Reese. From what I saw today you went all 'big brother' on her so admit it to yourself before you do any more damage to yourself or anyone in this office."

"She's a co-worker, not anything more."

Shep opened his eyes with a flash, was the man trying to make things more difficult than they had to be? It was a simple case of admittance that he was sure would help somehow, but now he felt he was about to enter into a stalemate with a man who was seriously in denial.

"So what if I told you that Chris and I had been playing a bit of friends with benefits over the past five years?" Shep said happily grinning, "Or Duke had been constantly visiting her at all hours, heard he even went around to talk about the case not so long ago... how long does it take to get to her place and back Reese?"

Shep could see the man seriously considering the lies he had just told him, it was amazing to think that a simple sentence could have the man thinking about something that was so ridiculous there no chance of in either case. He had once been in charge of the team, he knew things about Reese, Duke and Luca that would make any man's toes curl and it was partly the reason he knew none of them would fool around or contemplate a romantic relationship with each other.

"I would know if you were..." Reese saw Shep's smile, lies! His face had given the game away as Reese suddenly felt like a fool.

"Complete B.S but you believed it Reese; tell me that's not tunnel vision."

"You're an ass James." Reese snapped, "So what if I'm protective of my agents. Someone's got to watch their backs."

Shep caught the barbed comment; well this certainly wasn't what he thought their conversation would go like. Then again had he been too foolish to realise that five years could change people and the Damien Reese sitting there now perhaps wasn't the Reese that would have listened to him five years ago.

"Ouch Damien, I watched everyone's back in this office. I'm not the boss anymore but that doesn't mean I haven't been kept in the loop about you all."

"You mean after you left, you were actually bothered about us all? Ha that's cheap James even for you."

"I didn't ask for the transfer, it was necessary at the time and I intended to come back but you seemed to be doing a good job at being boss." Shep replied, "Until today."

Reese could almost feel the cold slap to his cheek as if it were more than just a verbal blow. Two short words that rang in his ears like an hour's worth of his wife's temper when he forgot their anniversary, sometimes the sticks and stones would be the better option he thought trying to keep himself from yelling.

"You flew off the handle today because Chris didn't come to you, because unlike the one guy before this John Tracy, it ended before you had even realised anything was going on!" Shep snarled, "You're too invested in being big brother."

"James shut up, this conversation is over."

Shep shrugged guessing he wasn't going to be able to get through to Reese, "You better get your macho bullshit out of your system before you make a mistake you can't take back."

"What the hell does that mean!"

"This team works because everyone in it is different." He shouted, "You think Chris would want to come to work knowing her boss would go off on one just because someone took an interest in her. This team needs everyone to work together flawlessly, just think about what you would lose if two of us started a stupid argument that went so far it couldn't be fixed with a sorry."

"I wouldn't lose anything James because she knows it was only a bad day." Reese yelled back.

"Does she normally drop you on your butt when you have a bad day?" Shep grumbled, "Or is it because Chris saw a threat and neutralised it?"

"I'm not a threat."

"Yeah... you think? From what I saw you're lucky she stopped at a sucker punch."

"She wouldn't hurt me."

"No you're probably right about that, but then what would you do to stop someone hurting your wife and child? Think about that. " Shep told him, "You need to apologise for today before you dig yourself into a hole you can't get out of."

Reese nodded trying not to hang his head in shame. Macho bullshit, he certainly hadn't expected that to describe what he did but it made sense somehow. He would have done the same to Duke if some woman had come into the office and had her hands all over the younger agent, maybe it was just the case that was getting to him. Trying to protect those he knew he could or perhaps it was the sum total of five years as a boss who lived every day not knowing if he was going to go home to his wife and daughter. Something had to break at some point he told himself as he stared once again at Shep.

"You ever think about hanging it up?" Reese asked.

"No. I can honestly say that I have not." Shep replied looking sceptically at Reese.

"Well, I can't say that anymore. Sometimes I think it would be nice to be able to be home for dinners every night… make weekend plans and actually keep them. Not have my wife worry about the father of her child." He said honestly.

"You have any idea where you might go?" Shep asked.

"There are a lot of places I could go. Think maybe I should check some of them out. Security companies are always looking for a few good men. Don't you think I'd look good in a nice, big office with a nice, big salary?" He said half joking.

"I don't know about that." Shep said shrugging. "And I don't know what it's like to have people waiting for you when you come home at night. And I would never try to tell you what to do with your life, but I do know what it's like to have a job that you totally believe in and I know what that means to you. But if you can look me in the eye and tell me that you are ready to hand in your badge and walk away… then I'll be there to support you. I'll help you in any way I can."

Shep was stunned, more than stunned when he looked at a man who seemed to have the world on his shoulders. They both knew the job wasn't easy, they had both been in the driving seat making choices that could affect the lives or one or thousands of people. They had known the risks before yes to a position that had them making the toughest choices any man or woman could make but still, the job eventually found a way of getting to you; it either swallowed you alive or wore you down until you didn't know what way was up. Shep wasn't sure if it was the job that had finally been Reese's undoing or the fact he had become close enough to the team to realise even outside the Bureau doors they were still a team.

"I'm tired Shep, I don't even know what I'm thinking anymore." Reese mumbled leaning back in his chair again. "I guess an apology comes first and after that I need a serious holiday."

Now that was more like it, Shep thought to himself as he saw the corners of Reese's mouth hint at a smile.

"Then let's go apologise, get this case over with and you can go and have a quite holiday." Shep told him, "But we stop for breakfast first!"

They both stood up glancing at their watches as they made their way to the office door. It was the ping on the computer that signalled an incoming email that cause Reese's attention, he was in half a mind to leave it until they got back although getting whatever it was out of the way now would leave him with one thing less to deal with. The man walked back to the computer screen and began slowly shaking his head.

"This is complete bullshit!" He roared after a minute. "Duke and Luca have to take a fire arms test today and their physical agility test. They only did it three months ago."

Shep shook his head walking around the desk to read the email. He knew that must have been an error on some clerk's part, it was a yearly thing not something that came after three months unless it was specifically requested and there were few people who had the authority to do that. Lady Penelope usually went through the normal channels if she felt they needed an update but he doubted she would make that choice in the middle of a case, which left the director himself and of course the assistant director. One was in Washington DC and the other had a whole building full of people working around the clock, which definitely ruled out whisking two agents away for a test.

"Tell them you're in the middle of a case, soon as you're done they can have them both." Shep said watching the man type. Within the matter of seconds the more demanding reply came back.

"Looks like you're down two agents today."

He had no idea that she was dreaming, that he was in fact stretched out in the room which held that the two beds. Stretched out on his back attempting to read as that seemed the only thing he could do to quiet his mind earlier. A mind that was relentless on thinking about 'her' after their last encounter. He didn't know how long he had read the same page over and over before he slept; the only company that he accepted was the book which painted pictures that the words seemed to illustrate. In his mind all the scenes from NASA and the space mission to the moon. The stars that he had seen through the telescope and up close held a mystery to him. John knew Scott was already asleep given the snoring sounds that came from the second bed after a few minutes but he was too lost in his book to think about sleep or so he thought.

* * *

His body flopped over in an effort to awaken him but it was a vain effort as he was too far gone. It was only the thunk of the book hitting the wooden floor did his mind spin dreams that lead to a brilliant smile, a smile that seemed to captivate him; he felt his open curiosity as the brilliant smile began to form silent words. Her southern accent making her voice feel like velvet, comforting and warm as it whispered to him. Like a moth to a flame he was drawn to her despite everything in him telling him to listen harder to the silent words, still it was a deep desire burning at his core and quickly he was at her side and in her arms. His fingers pulling her warm hands around his waist as his lips pressed against her neck sending him into a fit of shivers. Even though it was only a dream it still left her name on his lips...

"Christina"

Even though it was just a dream her touch was real to him and he remembered the last time he had held her though this was different the way these fingers prodded at his side. No soft touch, no soft whispering. In his sleep he twisted and writhed in soft gasps as his hand rose attempting to push the invisible prodding away. However much to his dislike it continued to the point where he was no longer sleeping.

"John it's time to get up"

Scott was used to getting Alan up, Gordon and Virgil from time to time but John. The man rarely slept in and was always punctual. Though today he knew they were going to miss the six o'clock start by about fifteen minutes. What had amused him more than John the punctual being late was the name that rolled from his lips a few moments ago. Sometimes a brother just had to be in the right place at the right time to find the most embarrassing or incriminating information so as things turned out. He was more than amused as he sleepy brother slowly came to life.

"Wa... what time is it?" Asked the groggy Tracy.

"Six O'clock and we're late." Scott said throwing John a towel. "And you need to get up."

He watched John scrambled around for a while before he went about tidying the room up a little. It wasn't that he normally would clean up after his brothers, he hadn't done that for a few years but certain things irked him and an unmade bed was one of the few. Scott settled himself down watching as one minute slowly crept into another. Scott could already hear people up and about in the house as he rested his arms behind his head, it was early again but then he wasn't completely unused to an early start. Scott couldn't be sure but the day before seemed to have taken it out of his younger brother. It had taken him most of the night to wrap his head around what had happened in the office, one minute everything was quite and much like International Rescue things became busy very fast although he had never been dropped to the floor as fast in his life.

Scott already got the idea that Christina wasn't as sweet and innocent as she might appear but James Sheppard was a whole other kind of lethal, there were only a few people on the planet that could move that fast and with such efficiency, needless to say they were all special forces which had him wondering just how Shep fitted into the puzzle. Scott could hear the footsteps already ascending the stairs as John appeared back from the bathroom. He was surprised when Alan burst through the door virtually telling them to hurry up giving a happy glance toward John who only had a towel wrapped around his waist.

"Dad is on his way up; he wants to talk to you about... urm stuff." Alan said knowing Jeff didn't want to speak to John.

Scott was the first one to notice that Alan had the biggest grin on his face, not that it wasn't normal but seeing John's travel bag move across the floor without any apparent cause that was odd. Scott watched for a few seconds as the black travel bag made it to the door. He pointed but was too late to do anything as two sets of hands grabbed it and took off chuckling. Alan made a break for it as John tore after them; Scott hadn't made it to the door before he heard a scream.

"OH! Why are you naked?" Christina shrieked. "Oh, my God!"

"Why are you here?" He yelled, "Oh, my God."

Scott was lost for a moment before he saw John standing stark naked in the middle of the hallway. The towel he was wearing was pooled around his ankles as Alan, Gordon and Virgil stood laughing half way down the wooden staircase. Now that wouldn't have been too bad Scott thought had it not been for Christina who was backed up against the far wall staring at the scene red faced.

"Don't look at me." John yelled trying his best to cover himself with his hands.

Scott wanted to help his brother out but it wasn't like an extra person was going to do much. Everything was showing and everyone but John was either laughing or about to start. Even Christina despite her red face seemed to be fighting the urge to laugh at the situation. It wasn't until John bent down to retrieve the towel that things got worse.

"Oh, God! You're showing everything." She said bursting into laughter. "Cover it up, for the love of God!"

"Oh, God, not the ..." She added turning her face away again as she tried not to laugh with embarrassment.

"Explain yourself please." Jeff yelled over the laughing.

"Explain myself?" John said.

"Yes, explain yourself." His father repeated himself glaring at his son.

"I was getting dressed." John began, "They took my bag!"

John pointed to the empty stairs as Christina looked as shocked as anyone that the bag, and the three Tracy's had disappeared. Scott could tell his father was somewhere in between amused and horrified that his son was standing naked in the hallway but still, with the amount of red faces and laughing, he thought it was better to keep his feet inside the doorway and not venture out to give his two cents worth.

"Then he just, jumps me out of nowhere." Christina said, flattening her hand to her eyes. "What's with that anyway?"

"I didn't mean to jump you." John said, "My room, and I had to run, and I ran into you."

"Just, you know, just... go cover up." She said heading quickly down the stairs stifling another fit of laughter.

"Go...Fine." John said watching Jeff shake his head before following Christina down stairs.

Scott grinned as John entered the room again. The warning glance only made him laugh more when John appeared too embarrassed to threaten anyone with a stare.

"I'll go find your clothes." Scott muttered chuckling as he narrowly avoided a shoe was launched at the door.

Scott didn't have to go far before the bag was thrown his way. Jeff was scolding Virgil and Gordon for cooking the scheme up and even Alan had a few harsh words thrown his way while Christina had thrown the bag to the top of the stairs. It wasn't long before Scott and John were sitting at the kitchen table, Bill and Cookie were nowhere to be seen, neither was Lady Penelope or Christina as Jeff continued to glare at Virgil and Gordon.

"It isn't funny. Do you realise we are guests here... there are ladies in this house boys." He grumbled.

"The lady did get an eye full." Virgil said.

John choked on the cereal he was eating as Jeff tried to hide an amused grin. Looking around the table it was easy to see that John was the only one embarrassed by the whole thing although even as the smiles and stifled laugher continued, he saw John try to make a quick exit as he dropped the dish into the sink. It almost worked until Bill walked in, his face happier than normal as he winked at John.

"Sunny side up this morning" The man said laughing as he turned to leave again.

"I ever say I hate you!" John muttered to Virgil and Gordon.

"Enough for us to know you love us." They replied smirking as they carried on eating.

John was all for making a quick escape when Bill reappeared with a more business like look. He merely motioned toward a silver Dodge Ram that had come to a stop in the yard. John wasn't sure what was going on until he saw the two men get out, Reese was the first and John could honestly say he wasn't about to hang around to have another confrontation like yesterday. Retreating back into the kitchen his brothers slowly noticed the change in atmosphere as Bill gave a small nod and smile toward John.

"I won't have any upset in this house!" He bellowed loudly as Reese and Shep knocked before entering the house.

"Fair enough." Reese said nodding as Shep nudged him hard. "I... I'd like a word with John and Scott please."

Scott wasn't sure what was going on as he stood up from the table, yesterday had been an experience and not one he wanted a repeat off too quickly. Shep appeared calm though Scott didn't want to put too much trust into the face of a man who was in his mind lethal beyond his comprehension.

"Only if that's okay with them." Bill said pointedly.

Jeff was unsure what to say as he tried to judge the situation, maybe Christina had already spoken to Bill. From the way the man was acting it appeared that the previous day's events had been relayed. Jeff wasn't immune to conflict, five boys gave any father enough conflict to last a life time and even though Alan appeared to be mellowing he was sure the minor family arguments were not over by a long shot.

"Boy's?" Jeff asked motioning for them to make their own choice.

"Whatever you want to say can be said in front of everyone here." John said decidedly folding his arms across his chest.

Reese looked at Shep pleadingly before he was once again prodded a little more forcefully than before. His former boss had a way of making even a prod that bit more painful than it needed to be.

"I'm sorry, yesterday I was under a lot of stress and you guys... well you kind of came off worst." Reese said trying not to look too guilty, "We look after our own and... well... I got a little over protective of the youngest agent on the team."

Reese glared at Shep, the man was obviously satisfied with his apology but then getting Shep's approval was one thing but actually getting the Tracy's to accept an apology was another.

"Over protective... " Scott muttered shaking his head, "Chris is perfectly capable of looking after herself and you don't need to protect her from any of my brothers!"

"You have no idea how true that is" Reese said trying not to smile. "Where is Chris... we need to talk before we head off."

John stared at Reese, the apology was nice although he still wasn't sure it was exactly meant or if it was just a smoothing over technique, after all saying sorry was the best way of getting the last word, having four brothers taught him that.

"And..." Shep muttered trying to prompt Reese who seemed to think his work was done.

"And I would like to ask you all back to the office today. You did a good job yesterday despite everything and ... I... well we could really use fresh eyes for the paper trail."

Reese wanted to bite his own tongue off as he spoke, back for another day it would be like torturing himself for another day although if it made peace like Shep had so subtly pointed out it could, it was worth it for a day. Reese didn't have to look at Shep to know the man was smiling; he always did when he got his own way of sorts.

"So how about it, Mr Tracy Senior?" Shep said grinning from ear to ear, "I'd be honoured to get to know the new recruits as it looks like I've missed a lot already plus we're down two agents today, they go for their firearms and agility tests so maybe you boys would want to watch."

"That'd be great!" Alan said jumping up from his seat.

Even after what he had seen yesterday he felt a need to help, or at least help find something that could put an end to the horror that was going on around them. He didn't bother to look at his brothers knowing that they would probably disapprove but then again if they did his father definitely would; Alan dared to sneak a quick look at his father who appeared to be weighing the options. Being involved with something he could do made Alan feel like he was doing good, if he couldn't be part of the Thunderbirds then he could at least help out with the FBI, it was better than nothing in his mind.

"Don't worry Mr Tracy, your boys won't leave our sight and they have to do exactly what they are told or the invitation is revoked." Shep added seeing the older man struggle to make a choice. "Now where's Laurel, we can't have one half of a double act."

"She's just making sure a few things are in order." Bill said before pulling a piece of toast toward him. "This place doesn't run itself you know."

"I really am sorry" Reese blurted out looking toward John and Scott again.

"Now that wasn't too difficult." Christina moved from behind Shep as she thrust a file into Reese's hand. "It's a good start. So there are your profiles, unfinished but it's as much as I have so far."

"Thanks, but I've got bad news for you." Reese said watching as the woman's face softened from a glare to something a little more amicable.

"Someone wants you and Duke to take your firearms and agility tests today." He explained holding his hand up to hush her. "I know you've done it already but let's keep things simple and get it done quickly."

"Something's off." Chris muttered leading against the kitchen side. "Have you told Duke yet?"

"No we were about to head back, want to join us?" Shep said.

"Maybe John, you'd like to take a trip with Missy this morning..." Bill suggested in the most innocent way that Jeff could have imagined.

John was trying to forget what happened earlier as he saw the blush in Chris's cheeks as she tried to avoid eye contact with him. Scott chuckled knowing full well putting the two in a car together would probably be the most embarrassing thing besides John's mishap. Jeff however couldn't hide his amusement as easily as Bill; it wasn't exactly his son's most shining moment although to his own knowledge it had to be one of the most awkward he knew about. Christina and John spluttered like two guilty children with their hands caught in the cookie jar, John watched Gordon and Virgil make a quick escape followed closely by Alan though as Christina tried to escape Bill caught her arm.

"Missy... surely you two could find something to talk about." Bill said grinning, "Even if it's about how you like your eggs in the morning."

Jeff wasn't sure who was blushing more, Christina who had turned a bright shade of scarlet or John who seemed to be hanging his head in shame while donning a similar colour.

"Dean Martin, good choice though we're going to stop for breakfast on the way back... if everyone's ready?" Shep said looking quizzically toward both Jeff Tracy and Bill.

Sitting behind the wheel of her truck, Christina couldn't remember a time when she had moved as fast to get out of that house. She checked the weapon that was firmly attached to her belt as she prayed John would go his father's vehicle. She half smiled seeing the Tracy's shut the doors on the green Mercedes though as she started the engine she saw Bill usher John toward her truck, her prayers certainly hadn't been answered as the man pulled opened the door and slid himself into the passenger seat. Unlike the night they had been dancing the atmosphere was tense and filled with nervous and uneasy glances. Christina followed Jeff and Shep from the yard, keeping her eyes glued firmly on the road as she tried not to think about anything other than tail lights and tarmac.

"It was an accident." John blurted out.

"Okay."

"I didn't mean to 'jump you'." He said ashamed that it had even happened, "I... they stole my bag."

Christina tried not to laugh as she stole a glance toward the uneasy blonde haired man who appeared to be finding the funny side to things finally. It wasn't exactly the perfect start to the morning but still the encounter had woke her up a little faster than the coffee that she had quickly helped herself to earlier.

"Did you honestly think I'd jump you?" John asked fighting back his own laughter now.

"Hey... don't laugh... you're the one who comes running out of your room then hits me and loses your towel." She retorted.

"True, but what were you doing there in the first place?"

She raised her brow trying not to look his way, her eyes fixed on the road that sped underneath the car as she considered his question. What was she doing in the hallway of her own home? Could there have been a question worse than that, it was her own home she thought not knowing why she was even considering an answer.

"Me... I was heading for the stairs, a completely normal activity, I didn't expect to see a streaker... or be flashed at."

"You looked!" John exclaimed.

"No... Well not exactly... I didn't know where to look." She said horrified.

"You did look!"

"It's far too early to be talking about anything like that, but for everyone's sanity please keep your clothes on."

"I will if you promise not to look at naked people in the morning." John said smirking.

"I DIDN'T LOOK!" She almost yelled in exasperation.

Okay so maybe she couldn't help but look a little, it was right there in front of her and beyond looking at the roof and the floor her eyes had to go somewhere in the time that passed between the two. Maybe she had been wrong to let six unknown people into her home for a while, it had been a favour to a friend and someone she trusted but being jumped in the morning wasn't her ideal way to wake up to the world around her.

"'Not exactly' is classed as looking." John added feeling a little better. "Do you do that often?"

"No... What the hell do you think I normally do?" She said a little confused, "Do you often flash people in a morning?"

"Normally no... But I guess that's off my one hundred things to do before I die list." He said chuckling.

"Flashing someone was on your list?" Christina asked raising her brow again.

"No... I mean... no that was a joke" He stammered.

"John Tracy... I never thought you were the type." She scoffed relaxing into her seat.

"Can we change the topic?" John asked hurriedly.

"You started it."

"I'm ending it then."

"Fine." Chris said grinning, "It's sunny outside today isn't it."

John tried to keep a straight face hearing the sarcastic tone in her voice though as soon as he saw her smile, he couldn't help but grin back at her. It never failed to amaze him how her smile could make him feel better, especially after a morning that hadn't gone to any kind of possible plan.


	18. Silver Lining

Meeman – Shelby forest state part was filled with trees, gravel tracks, rocks and tarmac. Today it was the place where Reese, Shep and the Tracy's would watch two agents pass their agility test, neither of the elder agents had any doubt about the two agents who had changed into gym clothes however glancing toward the Tracy family who were huddled by their car they appeared nervous. Shep had been away for a while and although he didn't have to do the tests any more he still managed to keep a handle on his fitness. Shadowing and guarding a royal wasn't too physically demanding all he had to do was blend in and be virtually invisible while still protecting his assignment but when that assignment tried to lose her protection detail things became a little more exciting. The job he thought was about as exciting as watching paint dry but after the first day he realised that there was a lot more to it than just sitting watching for possible threats. The Princess was extremely adept at losing her guards which he had found out within the first three hours of being on duty. Still he was back at the place where five years ago he would have done all the same things as the two younger agents. He wasn't that old himself but Duke and Christina were younger in age although experiences neither were short of.

"Special Agent's Duke and Luca please" A small suited woman called from another vehicle followed closely by a rather tall and gangly man.

Duke glanced toward Christina who appeared to be a little apprehensive about the whole situation, he himself wasn't exactly at peace with it but what the bureau wanted was as good as an order. Sometimes it really did suck to work for a federal organisation, sure they worked there and closed cases but whenever Lady Penelope called them they would drop whatever case they were working and go straight onto what she had for them. The fitness tests were the most annoying part of the year, no one else had to do it every year even the new recruits only had to go through it once but due to a special request from Lady Penelope they were tortured every year with the same thing.

"We are here today to see if your physical fitness is up to scratch. I'm Marion and this is Phil." The woman said indicating the tall gangly man stood behind her. "Now you will take part in sit ups, push ups, a three hundred meter sprint and a one and a half mile run. You are familiar with these events?"

"Yeah... overly" Duke replied grinning toward a woman who obviously didn't get the joke.

"You can take your places for the one minute sit-ups." She stated pointing toward two mats placed side by side in the middle of a track.

Shep watched as the two younger agents did as they were instructed though what surprised him was Duke. He took Christina into an embrace, it wasn't the hug that struck him as odd but the way he dwarfed her. The man was taller and wider than the woman but the embrace was almost like a protective cocoon rather than a good luck hug.

"Good luck Luca. The looser buys dinner." Duke stated before jumping down onto the mat.

Christina took a moment to collect herself after almost being suffocated but the words whispered into her ear made sense. 'Don't show your A game' since she had learned about the re-test something didn't feel right and now she knew it wasn't only her suspicions that had been roused. Agility tests were easy, even before joining Lady Penelope and agreeing to work for her and the FBI she had been pushed way past anything the bureau could do to her. Duke and Shep had been through similar training with Reese being the only one who came from a cop background, she knew they would each sail through the test but today she now knew to drag her heels and have a more leisurely test.

"You will each be timed and your progress counted." Marion stated as she pressed a stop watch. "Go"

Reese watched the agents closely, it was clear to him that they weren't putting their best efforts forward and he would have been surprised if it was their best he was seeing. He heard the woman call out the points that were average at most and certainly not what he was used to seeing. He counted seven as their best score for their three hundred meter sprint yet he knew they had scored nine and tens last time.

"What the hell are they doing?" Reese muttered.

"Not bringing their A game." Shep answered but the man didn't seem bothered by it.

Jeff watched the two agents get put through their paces but still he could see that Reese wasn't happy with what was going on. Jeff felt like he was outside a room and trying to hear a conversation through a closed door, you didn't always get what was being said but now and again you picked up a phrase or word that made no sense. The way Reese looked at the two agents was enough to fill in the blanks, the man wasn't happy.

"See you in fifteen guys." Duke called behind him as the two agents set off running.

Reese sighed as he wondered over toward the Tracy's, he had already tried to punch Scott Tracy and almost gone for Luca but now he had nothing left to do but wait for the verdict on his two agents. Less than stellar performances he thought to himself trying not to show his disappointment that he hadn't seen what he expected.

"And that is what they do every year to make sure they are in good shape." Shep said. "Or some of us who still work for the fed's."

"Is that it?" Alan asked slightly disappointed, "I thought it was going to be some kind of amazing wow thing... but is that all?"

"Yeah kid that's it. " Shep replied smirking.

Alan didn't know if he was disappointed or if he had disappointed himself with what he had seen. There wasn't that much to it and from what he knew Christina could do and what he imagined Duke was capable of seeing the usual thing was a little disappointing to say the least. Twelve and a half minutes later the two agents appeared again, their faces slightly flushed as the woman with the stop watch raised her brow and wrote a few things down onto a clip board before nodding and giving them each a piece of paper.

"Well done you two." Shep said, "Care to explain that awful display of fitness?"

Christina looked unsure although Duke seemed confident as he shrugged.

"I had a feeling, our A game is not something I think we should be showing at the moment."

Scott glanced at the man, his towering stance and sweaty gym clothes painted a picture of a body builder but a twelve and a half minute mile was good. He wondered what the hell their A game was if they could do better than what they had all watched but then again it was one of many question Scott wanted to ask but he doubted he would get an answer.

"When we get back I recon it might be worth tracking who put the paperwork forward for this party." Duke said, "Then I know who to yell at."

The trip back to the office was reasonable; Jeff found his son's chattering about the park and of course the morning's earlier events. He was glad in a way that John wasn't in the car as he knew his son would have been red with embarrassment though if anything it didn't seem to have caused much of an issue with anyone else. Entering the FBI building Jeff noticed Christina and Shep talking by the elevator, the two seemed enthralled by their conversation though they soon stopped and motioned toward an elevator that was free.

"You and Duke think the same thing?" Shep asked ignoring everything and everyone else.

"Us four against the world. Just like old times." Christina replied staring at the inside of the elevator doors. "And here we are."

Jeff followed his sons and the two agents from the elevator the office was just as they had left it the previous day; well almost that was. A few more stacks of paper had appeared and some had found their way onto the floor, Reese and Duke were busy typing on the computers and only then did Jeff notice that Duke and Christina had changed from their gym clothes into ill fitting suits. It seemed to be a standard requirement he thought although Shep appeared to be the best turned out of them all in a suit that looked to be tailored to exact measurements.

"So far I've tracked it back to the mayor's office." Duke called over the noise of keyboards and ringing phones, "Still digging though."

"Duke, leave the search its nothing to do with anything just an error. We need to chase down information from yesterday." Reese shouted.

"On it boss." Duke grumbled.

Like yesterday Jeff watched his sons quickly carry on with what they had been tasked with, it astonished him once again the speed and ease that they settled. It was not at all what he was used to and even with the Thunderbirds there would be an argument over who got the paperwork side of things.

"Duke, see if we can get an Inky Smudge on standby." Shep called from behind his desk. "I got a feeling we might need some fast paperwork."

"What's an Inky Smudge?" Gordon asked looking confused.

"It's a judge." Chris explained, "James Shepard uses cockney slang sometimes. He's trying to test us to see if we still understand him after all this time."

Shep gave a simple thumbs up to Duke before his eyes turned away to the screen in front of him. Jeff wondered just what kind of team the four agents were, he knew Lady Penelope as well as he could know anyone but somehow he was amazed that he had no idea about the existence of anything like it until he had floated the idea of a holiday past her. They all had their secrets and some were bigger than others but a team of agents not tied to the Thunderbirds or working for a specific purpose other than a local case he thought was strange in so many ways. It was quiet until Reese muttered something into his phone.

"Luca you have a visitor." Reese announced.

"Who is it?" She asked slightly bemused.

"Little Ricky, he thinks he has an idea who to look for."

"Nice." She said grinning almost running from the room.

Little Ricky was soon back into the same interview room he had been in before. Luca knew he had probably been in every interview room in the city and perhaps the FBI's were a little nicer than the ones at the average police station. She had hoped the guy would come back and perhaps give her something more to work with but she still didn't know why he was bothering until she stepped into the room and saw the photograph clutched in his left hand.

"You wanted to talk?" She said in a rather cold tone raising her brow toward the man.

"Who's the bald guy?" He asked glaring and pointing at Duke.

"Him?" Chris said motioning toward Duke, "He's a friend of mine, someone who will tell me if you're wasting my time. You won't waste my time will you?"

Ricky smirked before pulling the chair from the table. He eyed the new agent in the room, talk and bulky Ricky didn't fancy his chances pulling any rubbish though it was a nice touch thinking that the female agent felt the need for someone like that to be in the room as well. Duke looked ready to kill the guy although surprisingly to everyone Ricky chose to sit and not throw the chair. Duke was weary of Ricky, he knew Chris could look after herself far better in hand to hand combat that he ever could but a menacing glare could do wonders sometimes even if it was to prevent any scuffles similar to Ricky's previous interview.

"No I won't waste your time Chika." Ricky said nervously, "You told me you had a 'welcome wagon' for this guy. What did you mean... exactly?"

Christina smiled to herself; oh they had a wagon for the guy's who were tearing a state apart. The kind specially reserved for people that killed cop's and caused major issues but then if they could manage it and for some stroke of luck the bad guys managed to survive what the local police departments would do, he would be kicked up to them and she knew they would bury the guy in a prison that was as far from humanity and the outside world as possible. Most of their cases usually got maximum security federal prison but an odd few were classed as special cases and anyone involved with those cases got alternative arrangements.

"We have somewhere for people like him. Believe me when I say what you would do to him would be a holiday." She replied.

"Then we have an idea where that guy you mentioned before might be and we got a photo for you. He usually hangs out at a bar called cartwheel, he hangs around looking for a fight but lately he's not shown up as often."

"Thanks, we'll go check it out." She said, "Will he be there tonight?"

"Yeah... made a big deal of telling everyone that he'd show." Ricky said shrugging as he handed over the photo. "You'll get the guy... right?"

Duke was surprised at how honest Ricky appeared to be, the man seemed worried they wouldn't catch the guy or perhaps he trusted them to do exactly that. Sometimes even criminals surprised him, it wasn't often but then the low level gangs always did something that was surprising or 'should have seen that coming' moment which for Ricky appeared to be that moment.

"Of course." Christina said smiling. "Thank you for the information."

Ricky was escorted out leaving behind a slightly bewildered Duke and Luca. The two shrugged before making a move to speak although neither of them could find the right words. If it was a break in the case then it was welcomed with open arms but Duke struggled to see what Ricky got out of it.

"Is this real?" He asked, "Ricky doesn't seem like the type to do us a favour without getting something in return."

"Looks like its real." She said stunned. "The guy killed his brother, the 'welcome wagon' sounded like a good punishment to Ricky. We get the guy and Ricky gets justice. It's a trade."

"Hey we got info on Mr. Messy and a mug shot." Duke yelled out triumphantly when they reached the office again. "Cartwheel bar... should show up tonight."

Shep sat back smiling as he stretched out in his chair. Things finally appeared to be working in their favour as the picture was soon front and centre on every screen in the room. Staring at the face Shep couldn't exactly say the guy was handsome; his teeth were gold and as far as appearances went Shep figured him for muscle for hire type. The kind of guy a gang would ask to 'take care' of something however from the files that he had read the face of Mr Messy didn't jive with the carnage he had caused already. Mr Messy seemed to be at mob level though he was still hanging around the lower level crime rings, it was odd but then if it made things easier for them Shep was happy to accept the failings of a man he was sure might shed light onto the situation.

"Duke and I will be inside the bar, Shep you can man the surveillance van and Luca you're on the street."Reese told them while pressing a cell phone to his ear. "Do we know what kinda bar this is?"

"Shirts, boots and jeans." Shep said glancing at his computer screen. "Guess you're in for a long night Luca."

John tried not to look worried although Reese's stern stare had him wondering just what 'on the street' meant. His mind jumped to several conclusions in a heartbeat and given his father's equally concerned stare his face was apparently showing what he felt. John had watched cop shows before and he had spoken to more than his fair share of law enforcement but something about this group seemed unfamiliar, from the people on the team to how they acted and went about things John could honestly say he had no idea what was going on other than it shouldn't work but somehow it did.

"John don't worry she'll be in a car on the street, not what you're thinking." Duke said winking. "Though I like my chances tonight, handsome as I am I should find plenty of good looking women. A pair of tight jeans and an open shirt should do it."

"In your dreams." Shep replied laughing.

"Oh... every night sweet sugar."

Jeff watched his sons chuckle as Duke made a show and dance out of things, he found himself laughing too as the man did the cheesiest Saturday Night Fever move his eyes had ever seen. Duke strutted from the room swinging his hips as he sang badly a few bars of Staying Alive.

"Let's gear up. Tracy's I'm saying two of you can go on the van with Shep on this." Reese announced as Chris shot a warning glare toward Jeff. "It shouldn't be dangerous; surveillance is a pretty safe place to be. Mr Messy will now be known as the 'target' for this operation."

Choosing to keep her mouth shut Christina busied herself with grabbing some chocolate and crisps from a cupboard at the far end of the room. She glanced at the coffee pot pouring some into a flask before adding several cardboard cups to her bag. It wasn't that she was against people going on surveillance trips with them it was just the Tracy's she was against going. Already she had seen their tendency to get into trouble and that coupled with a situation that had the potential to get complicated quickly she didn't fancy their chances. Shep moved past Christina to grab a flask of coffee for himself as he leant into her.

"I'll look after them." He whispered softly before moving away again.

Taking a short sharp breath she gathered her things before turning to see who would be joining them for the evening. She was hoping for a short outing, to get set up and find that the 'target' was there ready to grab and take back to the office for an interrogation though experience told her that it would probably be a few hours if not the entire night parked outside the bar staring at faces before the one they wanted appeared. A long, cold and boring night.

"So who's coming?" Reese called. "And the rest of you can go home and relax; we'll call when we're done."

Christina glanced at the two raised hands of Alan and Gordon, Jeff appeared a little apprehensive as he glanced her way although all she could do was shrug. It wasn't her call and despite her warning glare earlier it appeared the two youngest Tracy's were going along with them no matter what protest she would put up.


	19. Crossfire

Alan was sat next to Shep in the surveillance truck; it was a small space, one side crammed with as many screens and keyboards that could possibly fit there while the other side held small cupboards along with some fold down seats. He could honestly say it wasn't the kind of place you wanted to be if you were at all bothered by small compact spaces, yet he found it intriguing mostly. He watched Agent James Shepard speak into his headset while his eyes darted from screen to screen. The images were of the front of the bar, the queue to get in and a steady image from Christina's car parked up the street. It seemed to be a well thought out operation almost as good as one his father might have planned for the Thunderbirds though he wouldn't have been anywhere near it if it was.

So far he was enjoying the experience; he sat watching the faces on the screen before looking at the picture Shep had showed him. It was the face of the many they were looking for and so far there wasn't a sign of him entering the bar at all. It had been half an hour since they set up and the idle chit chat of Reese and Duke now went into the ear of Shep with the aid of a head set.

"Can I listen?" He asked feeling a little useless.

"Nope, thing said here are not for the ears of a young boy such as yourself." Shep answered smiling as he flipped a switch on a screen. "That's Luca's microphone, try listening to her for a while."

Sighing he nodded expecting to hear more silence though he was surprised when the sound of singing came through the speakers. He wondered if Shep had put the radio on for him but listening closer he found he was enjoying the song that wasn't interrupted with advertising or a DJ's voice. Alan listened to her voice; it was hypnotic after a while like waves crashing on a beach he found it almost relaxing. She sang the same song over and over which didn't happen to be in English he was surprised to know she knew any other language but Alan couldn't place it unlike Tintin who was skilled with languages. It sounded a little Latin to him although mixed with hints of a southern accent it was a little strange to hear.

"What's she singing?" Alan asked Shep who was swaying a little staring at the screens.

"A Romanian love song." He replied smirking, "Her mother was Romanian; she taught Chris the language and customs. You don't know much about her do you."

"Oh" He said slightly stunned, "You're right, I don't know much about her... does she have family over there then?"

Shep chuckled, the one thing he knew better than anything else was Christina's wish for family and she had found some of it in the form of Bill and Cookie. He always found it strange that she picked a career that would have her lying to the very people she thought of as family however the few years he had worked with her he began to understand that she considered everyone in the office an addition to family. At first he thought her previous employment had done a good number on her and for a good few months he thought her completely unable to function in a group, but the smile she held and concern she had for everyone soon won him over.

Shep could remember a quiet and deadly young girl that hardly said two words to anyone. Christina would listen rather than talk, she kept her cards close to the vest and above all no one was allowed to get close to her. She was... well Shep couldn't even put it into words and how Lady Penelope picked her he never knew, at the time Shep thought Lady Penelope had lost her mind bringing Christina into the team but after a while she mellowed toward them and they did toward her until they became as close as any family. Shep shook his head to Alan's question.

"No, she hasn't got any blood family left although Bill and Cookie can be called 'family'." He explained, "They are about the only two whom she counts other than us three at the office."

Clearing his throat Shep reached for a small radio, his fingers pressed the appropriate button as static erupted before a quite silence.

"Did you know surveillance is the leading cause of weight gain among operatives?" Shep said over the radio.

Christina chuckled shushing herself as she held the cardboard coffee up in her hands trying to warm them. She hated the waiting around the longer she sat there staring out of the windshield trying to spot something suspicious the more tense she became. Every case involved some kind of preparation and surveillance but she often wished that it could be a little more appealing than sitting inside a car, while trying to keep warm and catching up on the celebrity gossip that month. She wasn't the kind to care about Elle Novak, the socialite daughter of a billionaire who had been caught speeding or Andy Sanchez who was promoting a new movie. There were bigger issues in the world although reading about another's persons problems always made some things seem a little better.

"Really... that's new to me. I always eat healthy on surveillance ops." She replied.

Alan chuckled knowing full well what she had packed in her bag for snacks. He'd seen the chocolate bars; crisps and yogurt go into a bag though the yogurt was about the healthiest thing he'd seen. Shep however had brought carrots, apples and anything that was remotely good for you and a large flask of specially brewed tea. The man had insisted no one could make a cup of tea like he could although from what Alan had tasted it was good but just like every other cup he ever had.

"Since when is chocolate healthy?" Alan called out grinning broadly at the radio.

"Since I decided it was." Came the straight forward reply. "It's cold and chocolate is a girl's best friend no matter what."

Alan laughed as the radio fell silent again. It was far more boring in real life than in the movies he thought glancing at the small surveillance screens in the truck. Disguised as a delivery truck Alan thought that it would be spotted straight away but no one ever took more than one glance at the truck just sitting there. It was as if they were part of the alley or brick work of a building people just didn't notice it.

"So you're the youngest Tracy son huh" Shep said looking Alan over, "Tell me something about yourself."

Alan wasn't sure what to say to that, what was he to tell the man it wasn't as if he had anything interesting to say.

"Urm... I don't know... I go to boarding school." He said unsure what it was Shep wanted to hear.

Shep grinned at the boy; he expected no less for the son of a billionaire. If he had said he attended public school he would have picked himself up off the floor but no just as he assumed the kid was one of the elite group that were sent away to learn all they could before being thrown into a world few could understand.

"You probably don't know this but when you sit in this truck people tend to share stories, what they have done so far and near misses. They talk to each other and it makes everything go faster." He said grinning as his eyes glanced over the monitors.

"Then I have a question." Alan said leaning forward in his seat. "Why is Chris afraid of water?"

Shep immediately stopped being concerned with his coffee cup and started staring at the boy whose question appeared as innocent as a hungry child asking for something to eat.

"What gives you the impressions she's afraid of the water?" He asked.

"I...urm... there was an accident and well, she looked scared and then... it was obvious she was scared." He said not wanting to get into the how and why he knew.

"Let me explain something about Luca. She's complicated and with complicated comes a whole load of reasons that would take a lifetime to explain."

"You said we share things right? It makes time go faster so if it's a long story then it'll help pass the time right?"

Shep couldn't argue the logic in that although he was sure beyond any doubt sharing anything about Luca with the kid might be the biggest mistake he had ever made or something that could put an end to any curiosities that could land the kid in trouble. It was rather a surprise that the boy had turned his previous words back upon him yet it appeared it wouldn't have been the first time he had done it.

"Have you ever wondered why Bill limps?" Shep asked.

Alan hadn't much thought about that, he had taken it as one of those things and Bill wasn't exactly the type you'd ask those sorts or question to.

"No..."

"A long time ago Bill and Luca were in a car accident, severe rain had caused rivers to burst, drainage ditches were at maximum and emergency services were being slammed. It happens now and again." Shep said never taking his eyes of the screens. "Anyway their car ended up in one of those ditches. From the report I read Bill was pulled from that car first suffering a severely broken leg that never healed quite right. The rain hampered the efforts to get to Luca and so the car slid further into the ditch."

Alan sat there riveted as he listened, it explained her reaction to the river earlier that week though it seemed a little on the extreme side for him still.

"That explains why she doesn't like rivers and water but why does she seemed terrified of it?"

"Well Alan, no one could tell at the time but Luca was trapped by her seatbelt. A scared child reacts in many different ways; it's difficult to tell if they are honestly trapped or just making things difficult for themselves. The water level was rising and filling the car, it would have been like she was slowly drowning in icy cold water." He said quietly, "When they finally got to her they had to revive her. Since then deep water scares her to death."

"That explains it then."

"However like all terrifying things for us we learn how to control our fear, to use it for our advantage." He said before flashing his killer smile.

"How do you control fear?" Alan asked curiously, "Fear is fear."

"It takes courage Alan, what I suggest is focus on what needs to be done, clear your mind of everything else but the task at hand and without any other thought just do it." He said, "It's only when you start analyzing things that the fear kicks in."

"You sure that works?"

"Yes, it's like being in a room full of armed opponents. You're there with nothing more than your fists. You can freeze with fear, do exactly what they want and sometimes doing that is the best option." Shep stated, "Or you can focus on how you're going to get out of that room alive, you focus on the task at hand. There is plenty of time to think over what could have happened later but in those moments you cannot let fear become your master."

"Sounds like you're some kind of super fearless agent." Alan said grinning at him.

"Fearless no." He replied, "Super Agent I am not, I used to be Major in the British Army among other things, then I became a Federal Agent and now I'm an Officer for the Royal protection service."

Alan chuckled when Shep grinned winking cheekily. The man was a mystery and a lot like his elder brother Scott. Alan could see that James Shepard was a serious guy through and through yet still he had a funny side he was sure. Alan tried to make sense of the jobs Shep held, he understood how he was a federal agent, Lady Penelope took care of that angle and the military was a career choice but a Royal protection officer. That took some explaining Alan thought to himself.

"So you really look after a princess?" He asked.

"Yes I do."

"Can you tell me about her?"

"I suppose I could."

"Well..." Alan asked raising his brow.

"Her Royal Highness The princess Royal is everything a princess should be." Shep said sighing taking the easy road. "Elegant, beautiful, noble, selfless, humble, respectable and dignified."

"Oh come on... what's she like... really?" Alan asked, "Snooty right, annoying, thinks the world is hers?"

"I thought that once but she's nothing like that. The princess is down to earth, caring and loving." He said, "Lieutenant in Royal Army Medical Corps, a captain in the Army Air Corps and is currently undergoing training to become an Apache Attack helicopter pilot."

"Impressive" Alan said, "So what's the real story, she got those titles right... given them because she's royal?"

Shep shook his head, unlike some royal family members he had been surprised to find that the princess had worked for every title she had. Serving three tours as with the medical corps and he already knew of her plan to serve another tour abroad as a pilot which he also knew had ruffled many feathers among the Royal family and government. If there was one thing Her Royal Highness was good at it was feather ruffling.

"No, the princess went to school, trained in the army and has done three overseas tours treating real wounds in a real war zone."

"Wow... she's not a girly girl then." Alan said a little stunned by what Shep was telling him.

He guessed it was the image of a princess, the fairy tale everything and even when he had read about Royal's doing good things he never thought they would have to 'work' for anything. Handed to them on a silver platter sprang to mind although from the sound of what Shep was saying not every Royal was the typical image he thought of. Lady Penelope worked for what she had although her title did give her leeway in a lot of areas he was sure.

"You'd have to meet her to make your own opinions on that." Shep said smiling. "But no, she's not your typical princess."

"Anyone have anything yet?" Christina's voice mumbled over the radios.

"Care to share Alan?" Shep asked offering Alan the radio. "We don't have anything new in case you were curious."

"Nothing new Chris." Alan said eagerly, "Do you have something?"

"A bad case of boredom." She replied. "Are you enjoyed this excitement Alan?"

Christina had barely asked the question before they listened to the sounds of gunshots. People started spilling out of the bar onto the street screaming and shouting before heading in every direction. Shep garbled something into the radio as Alan watched his finger point at the screen showing two men charge up the main street wielding weapons. Duke and Reese began to yell over the microphones telling Shep of their struggle to get out of that bar and take chase.

"LUCA!" Shep yelled over the radio.

"Already on it." Came the garbled reply.

Alan watched a camera, he saw Christina darting from her vehicle and taking chase. She was fast, faster than he first thought and she caught up with the pair before they had reached the top of the street. Like a cheetah stalking its prey she covered the distance with a speed Alan had never seen before, it definitely didn't go with the fitness tests he had watched earlier on that day.

"Freeze Federal Agent!" She yelled.

Christina looked at the two men as they dropped the two guns they were holding. The guns fell to the ground with a clatter as she shook her head at them in disbelief. Did they not know not to drop a recently fired weapon? Still she wasn't about to yell at them about gun safety. She knew the one they were after from the mug shot but the other one she couldn't see under a black ski mask. Such a cliché she thought as she held up her badge seeing no real threat, they had no weapons she could see although that didn't indicate much to her. Never underestimate your opponent, it was a phrase to live and die by although today she fancied her chances against the two men.

"Face down on the floor." She ordered as the shortest guy looked toward the tallest of the pair.

"Why?" Asked Mr Messy, the one guy she knew of the pair.

"Because I asked you to." She replied moving to reiterate her point with her own gun.

Christina watched Mr Messy make a jumpy move while the other simply shrugged.

"ON THE GROUND!" She told them loudly wondering just how difficult they were going to make things.

She hardly heard anyone behind her as she was slammed face first into the middle of the road. A sharp pain in her neck seemed to paralyse her entire body. It took a second for her to come around as she saw three men standing above her before a kick was firmly planted into her side causing her cry out in pain. The sharp shock had her groggily struggling to her feet only to be dealt another blow by a fist to her cheek.

She crumpled onto one knee, disorientated as she stared at the three men in disbelief. She saw the new guy advance toward her and she was powerless to resist as he easily pushed her to the ground, straddling her chest. Struggling to move the dead weight from her chest her legs kicked out aiming for anything with shins or groins as her hands struck out against the attacker. No matter how many punches she threw the man wouldn't budge. She found his hands winding around her neck as she tried to pull the fingers that began to squeeze so tightly. Her right hand flashed out quickly and caught the attacker in the cheek with the back of her fist as her other hand pulled the black ski mask from his face.

In a moment she recognised the smile, the cold callous laugh that filled the office from the tapes they had reviewed. It was the same smile she had seen on the surveillance tapes after the judge's shooting. It was most definitely, Smiley. Christina moved to reach her weapon that lay mere inches from her outstretched hand. In a moment she found herself staring down the barrel of the weapon that had earlier been attached to her side. She heard the click of the hammer before her eyes saw something horrifying. No longer was she staring down the barrel herself. It was pointing elsewhere.

One hand still squeezing her neck she saw the other hand point toward a figure standing in the street. Struggling to breathe and focus, her eyes eventually caught the image of Alan; the boy looked terrified as her own gun was soon aimed toward him.

"Don't struggle Luca or the next one makes the boy dead and me smile; and I really want to smile Christina."

She froze ceasing her struggle as the fingers kept their pressure on her neck. How did he know her name? A well informed criminal was the worst kind she thought before her mind turned its attention to two things more urgent. A lack of oxygen and Alan.

"The kid... has nothing... to do with anything" She spluttered struggling to breathe.

"Interesting" Smiley said shifting his position over her a little. "Now I'm going to get up and the three of us are going to walk away unharmed and without being followed. Do anything and the kid gets a bullet between the eyes. Like I said... I really want to smile today."

She hated being out of options, a lack of air, no manoeuvrability and a civilian involved limited her choices as she tried to struggle against Smiley. His grip however was iron clad, unmoveable and most of all he had the upper hand in almost every scenario she could think of.

"Are we agreed?" He asked after a moments struggle.

"Agreed."

Christina stayed on her back as the fingers released their iron clad grasp from around her neck. Gasping for air she coughed and spluttered watching the three figures backed away, she watched as they picked up the two guns they had dropped before tossing hers to the side and disappeared around a corner. Looking above her Alan appeared shaken but otherwise alright as he held out a hand for her.

"ARE YOU ...FRICKEN INSANE?" She screamed, still spluttering. "WHAT... THE HELL WERE YOU... THINKING!"

She knew it wasn't Alan she was mad at, it wasn't even the guy who almost strangled her had it not been for Alan's intervention of sorts. It was herself she was cursing; she was going soft and she knew it, if anything the last few moments had been proof of that. There was a time when she would have ripped the guys head off his shoulders, been aware of his presence behind her and even been able to drag at least one back to her car for interrogation but no... Today she had been choked, tasered and now watched as the three suspects walked away from her. There was no other way to put it, she was going soft.

"I... I thought I could help." Alan stammered frightened more than ever before.

"Well you thought wrong." She snapped back glaring at him before her gaze softened a little. "Are you hurt?"

"N..no." He spluttered.

Alan saw Christina smile a little as she held out an arm. He cautiously stepped a little closer to her before he was pulled into an embrace. For a moment he just wanted to cry as he hugged her tightly wondering what he was thinking to make him leave the safety of the surveillance truck.

"LUCA!" A voice boomed from down the street.

Alan pulled away from her as he looked behind him to see Reese charging toward them, his gun aiming at the exact point where the three men had escaped.

"WHAT WAS THAT?" He yelled pushing past Alan. "YOU LET THEM GET AWAY; I KNOW YOU COULD HAVE TAKEN THEM ALL."

Alan saw Christina look at the floor, her mouth opening and closing though no sound made its way past her lips. He could see disappointment and anger in her eyes as she began ringing her hands behind her back again. He heard all about that from his dad when Bill had told Jeff to do something before things went too far, he half considered stepping in to stop Reese saying something that upset her but then he figured he was better off staying out of it.

"I'm not superwoman Reese, even I make judgement errors." She said glaring for a moment before rubbing her neck.

"Judgement error? That wasn't an error that was lazy, useless and stupid work. Get the hell away from here and take that kid with you!" He almost screamed.

"A life is more important than an arrest, never forget that." She whispered into his ear before pointing up the street. "And don't forget to print my gun!"

"And how many more lives are lost because you let them walk away!" Reese yelled as Christina moved away.

Reese knew he was mad, mad they had got away and mad at Luca for about everything that had gone wrong that day. He knew he was overreacting but looking at the woman stood there he couldn't help but be angry. Once again a Tracy had ruined something he thought callously, first John was on the scene and now Alan was tagging along and had probably ruined the best chance they had of catching the three killers.

"Are you alright Chris?" Alan asked as he stared at the red finger marks on her neck.

The reddish marks went as far as he could see around her neck, he watched her try to cover the evidence up with her hair styling into exactly the right position but he knew she was hurt. They walked down the street in silence as they found Shep and Duke leaning against the surveillance truck. Duke looked as if he had the same treatment as Chris as he rubbed his side tentatively.

"All okay up there?" Shep asked nodding toward Reese who was content in searching for any sign of the villains.

"All fine." She replied before looking to Duke, "You need a medic?"

Duke shook his head furiously, "The hell I do, and did you see the crazy that went on in there? A stampede of boots, stilettos and I didn't see what hit me but it's damn sore. Anyway what's new out here?"

"Something's not right..." Christina mumbled mostly to herself. "It's wrong... it's all wrong."

Shep and Duke looked curious and appeared to be both confused and worried. Alan stood back and watched Christina pace back and forth, talking under her breath as Duke shrugged watching the woman. Suddenly Christina grabbed Shep's hand again placing it on her throat before throwing Shep's gun at Duke.

"Duke, you're Ghost... so I ask you this, what stops Duke from shoot Alan?" She asked them, "I can't do anything, what would stop Duke from shooting?"

"If I needed leverage over you." Duke said. "To keep you under control while we made a getaway."

"No, I couldn't have done anything to stop it happening if I wanted to, they knew it. What else would stop you?"

Shep let go of Christina's throat seeing the red marks that were there previously. If there was one thing no one on the team could do anymore it was hide injuries, a long time ago they all became wise to each other's tricks though the bigger issue was Shep knew what was bugging Christina.

"An order." Shep said gravely.

"Exactly... which means the profile's wrong." Christina told them shooting Duke and Shep a concerned look."Ghost isn't the ring leader, Smiley is."

Alan looked between the three faces trying to keep up. Unlike his brothers he didn't know what the looks meant between the agents and what didn't need to be said, for him he was as good as lost with what a wrong profile meant.

"And what does that change?" Alan asked.

"It changes everything kiddo, Smiley is the organiser, Ghost is a simple pawn same as Mr Messy. Two very dangerous pawns and now we need a new profile." Shep explained watching Christina nod in approval. "Anything else Luca?"

"He knew my name..." She replied with a worried tone. "And I have to get Alan home right now."

"Go ahead, we'll sort out here. I'll look into who knows were on this case." Duke said before smirking for a moment. "Say hello to Blondie for me."


	20. Have A Little Faith

Night had finally fallen around the house, the stars shining brightly and peacefully just like they had every night before and put simply, it was just another night. Alan sprawled out on his bed wishing he could close his eyes and not see that gun pointing straight at him, it had been an eventful evening and luckily his father hadn't asked too many questions about it. The long and short of it was Alan couldn't sleep. He tried to but every time he did the flashing images of the gun filled his eyes. Sitting bold up right for the fifth time he gave up even attempting to try and sleep. He found it hard to forget how many nights he laid awake after the Hood's attack, to begin with he could hide it but after a while everyone knew and that was the worst part. He could see himself now lying awake for hours not being able to get the sleep he craved but even as he looked at the clock he knew there was little chance of finding peace.

Four o'clock in the morning, the time was mostly irrelevant although as he lay there staring helplessly at the ceiling he heard small noises. A floorboard creaking occasionally followed by the sound of a pen tapping impatiently against paper, he listened to it for a while before venturing to the door. His curiosity getting the better of him as he opened it, the door made a slow groan as Alan stepped out into the dark hallway. He glanced toward the stairs thinking someone was awake but as he looked toward the room beside his he saw the light on and the occasional figure casting a shadow underneath the door. Christina must have been awake he thought as he stumbled in the dark and knocked as quietly as he could on her door. It took a moment before the door opened a crack. Christina peered into the dark hallway surprised to see Alan standing there.

"Alan?" She said quietly. "What's wrong?"

Alan didn't know why he had knocked on her door; Christina herself didn't look like she had much sleep though he guessed out of the two of them she stood a better chance at it. Pondering her question he tried to think of a decent answer though all he could manage was a shrug. He watched her stare at him for a while before she opened her door to let him in. Her room was brightly lit, her bed was covered with paper and a laptop that was whirring as pages flashed onto the screen.

"Alan... is everything okay?"

Christina wasn't sure what to make of it, getting early morning visit from a boy she was sure half hated her was odd although looking at him it seemed he didn't even know why he was there either. The day hadn't exactly been the perfect one, being rendered helpless in a situation a few years ago she would have taken her chances with, well the only thing she could think of was she was losing her touch. Still she cast her quizzical gaze toward Alan who stood just inside her door.

"I can't sleep." Alan replied casting his eyes to the floor like a child about to be scorned.

Christina smiled weakly, nodding as she unplugged the laptop and stacked the papers neatly on top of a set of draws. For a second she had almost forgotten that gun's weren't an everyday occurrence for some people. Having one pointed directly at you wasn't exactly the most comfortable situation to be in however to her it was just 'one of those things'. Annoying yes, a waste of time probably though she had been so caught up with other things she had forgotten the one person who was apparently struggling with the events.

"Me either." Chris said nudging him on the arm a lightly, "Let's go..."

Alan wasn't sure if she was throwing him out or just telling him to get lost but he stood there as she grabbed a blanket from the foot of her bed and motioned toward the door. Well so much for the warmer side he though harshly. He tried not to be too annoyed as he was the one who had interrupted whatever she was doing.

"I'll go, sorry for bothering you." He mumbled walking back toward his room rather grudgingly.

"Hey, thought you couldn't sleep?" She asked raising her brow as she watched Alan, "I was going to make some hot chocolate but if you're too tired..."

"Sounds great." He said a little too loudly as she grinned and hushed him, pressing a single finger against her lips.

"Don't want everyone knowing we're early morning fridge raiders do we?"

Alan grinned toward her; maybe she did have a heart after all. He followed her to the kitchen stepping cautiously past the other doors trying not to make a sound as they went. Sure Chris did take some getting used to but maybe there was some kind of human inside her somewhere, at least one that didn't want to kill him every other minute. Alan leaned against the table watching her as she made the hot chocolate silently. It was strange after everything that had happened that evening she could actually appear to not be bothered by it. Alan saw her as calm, collect maybe even a little too put together but all in all she seemed completely at peace with the entire ordeal.

"It's not as good as Cookie's but it'll do." She said as she handed Alan a cup before motioning toward the living room.

They each sat quietly as Christina handed him the blanket. Alan tugged it around his t-shirt covered shoulders as he took notice that Christina was still wearing her suit. She hardly looked as if she had come home for any length of time or she was about to go out again. Neither of which would surprise him, Alan could see she worked hard much like his brothers.

"So tell me... why can't you sleep?" Christina asked half guessing his answer.

She was no mind reader, well technically it was her job to read people to know what their next move would be and know how they thought, but even your average school teacher or cab driver would be able to pinpoint the exact answer or be halfway there already. Alan stared at her in disbelief, blunt and to the point he thought not sure how he was going to answer her or even if she wanted to know. For all he knew she didn't care and he was simply an interruption in her evening.

"I say something wrong?" She asked puzzled by his look.

"No... I ... just didn't think you'd care. No... I mean... it's just." He stammered not sure if he was about to be yelled at or not.

"Oh" She said not sure what to say in reply. "I do care Alan. I just try not to show it."

It was one of her many quirks if she could put it that way. Letting people know she cared was as tough for her as standing by and letting something bad happen. If she cared about people, those people turned into a weakness and of course her job didn't allow for many weaknesses that could be exploited.

"Why?" Alan asked curiously.

"Because it's easier to pretend not to care than let someone see that you do. Now this..." She said, pointing between their cups before motioning around the entire room. "This never happened, this conversation didn't happen and if you tell anyone about this... I will make your life hell."

Alan grinned; it was odd that a threat made him feel more relaxed and at home than he ever had there. There was no doubt that she would make his life hell if she wanted to, sometimes he wondered just why people were not completely terrified of her yet in that moment she appeared to be less of a monster and more... human.

"Not even dad?" He asked.

"Not even him." She said grinning, "Now tell me, why is it that you can't sleep?"

"I keep thinking about what happened today..." He said.

Christina nodded sympathetically; she herself kept going over her actions. If only she had turned, had she not had her back to a blind spot but normally she had some kind of backup. It was just how things had turned out and no one had been hurt so it was a win or so she tried to tell herself.

"You know in this house nothing and no one can hurt you."

Alan was surprised by how sincere she sounded, the look in her eyes made him believe every word she spoke. Christina always cherished the thought that work was work and it didn't follow her home, sure if she brought it with her it was there but there was nothing else. It was a home away from the horrors that happened in the world, a place where work could be done and beyond the gate at the end of the road the world didn't matter at all.

"I thought that once but there's always something bad that can happen." Alan said with a sigh as he remembered the moment the Hood set foot on Tracy Island.

The island was supposed to be secret, a place where home base was and not a place where he would watch helplessly for so long as his family was put through its paces. Home was a place where the bad shouldn't happen, sure arguments and his brother's squabbles, even his own tantrums but no one else's trouble should ever turn up on their door step.

"What makes you say that?" Chris asked curiously as she tried to read Alan's pensive face.

"Experience." He said huffing.

"Do you want to talk about it?"

Alan shook his head; he couldn't even begin to tell her about the Hood. Explain that the family home had been broken into and what affects it had on his entire family. No, that just wasn't possible. The Thunderbirds were secret; his father was a billionaire with a million dollar company and not the Thunderbird's creator no matter how much he wanted to yell that fact from the roof tops.

"Alan, this home is a place that is very well protected. I personally won't let anyone harm you or hurt you here. That goes for you and your family too."

Christina knew it was a tall order but home was home and she wasn't about to let Alan think it was anything but safe. After all she had her skills, Bill and Cookie were as dangerous as they wanted to be and generally there was always someone there who could put up a good fight.

"How do you do it?"

"Do what?" She asked furrowing her brow.

"Make someone feel like everything's okay?"

Christina laughed shrugging, the less Alan knew about her the more chance there was that he might actually like her for her. Spilling just how safe he was there would probably send the boy running for the hill's, even if it didn't she was pretty sure that it would turn the most iron stomach upside down. Her job included keeping people safe, her pervious like of work was pretty much the same although slightly more covert. Telling her side of what would happen to someone who crossed the line and tried to hurt anyone there, well it was something she was sure would give the boy nightmares for years.

"It's easy when everything is okay." She replied smiling warmly pushing those thoughts from her head. "Now how's the hot chocolate?"

"Great." Alan replied as he grinned. "I should probably go back upstairs."

Christina raised her brow at the statement before nodding; Alan stood making a move to head back up the stair case. She stared packing up the cups leaving the pan in the sink for the morning as she tried to decide on something to do, for her it was too late to even think about grabbing an hour's sleep.

"Hey Alan, how do you fancy giving me a hand this morning... I mean unless you want to get some more sleep. Either way it's okay?" Chris said seeing the boys eyes light up a little.

"What can I help with?" Alan asked eager to help, anything was better than sleep when he couldn't actually sleep.

"Well... how's this sound for a plan?" Chris said explaining in detail what she wanted to achieve before Bill and Cookie got up and of course his brothers.

"You see Alan, if we do everything in the yard this morning... it's just inside that will need a clean and you'll have done your part for the day." She stated seeing the boy grin at the prospect.

"You mean I wouldn't have to clean up in the house?" He said wanting a little more of a concrete answer.

"Exactly."

Alan grinned nodding vigorously. Glancing at his clothes he saw Chris nod as he ran back upstairs to get changed. By the time he got back down stairs avoiding a few creaky floorboards Alan saw Christina had too changed into jeans and a t-shirt. She pulled on a light yellow jacket before motioning toward two pairs of gloves that lay on the table.

"Pick a pair kid." She said fastening her jacket watching as Alan chose. "So shall we head out?"

It was less of a question and more statement as Christina walked from the house, Alan followed closely on her heels as they both moved toward the barn. Two horses were quickly saddled and led from the dimly lit barn as the morning sun began to cast shadows over the ground. Christina gracefully mounted the house as Alan stood beside his and just looked at it.

"You do know how to ride don't you?" Chris asked wondering if the blonde hair teenager was going to take after John.

"No I know how to... it's just the first time I've been allowed to here." He shrugged as he mounted his own horse. "So what are we going to do?"

Curious, yes Alan had no idea what they were going to do least of all why they were riding horses. It was a nice change from the confines of the house and being shouted at for not doing things right, or generally being in a mood. He stared out at the sunrise that cast a strange glow over the ranch as they set off. Alan couldn't see a track although Christina appeared to know where they were going; at least he hoped she did.

"We're going to check the cattle, every morning someone has to check that they are all okay." Chris said, "The yard work can be done a little earlier but we might as well head out since we're both awake."

Alan nodded in agreement before wondering how much work was involved. The cattle appeared here and there as Christina glanced over them while Alan asked questions here and there. Mostly he was enjoying the trip out, the ranch was bigger than he had first thought and a lot more inviting than the backwater place he first assumed it to be. Glancing at his watch Alan saw it had turned 7am already he was about to tell Christina when he saw the look on her face that spelled trouble. Her eyes were glancing around the landscape searching for something as he too started to look for something out of place. It took him a moment for him to see the circling birds in the air that had already caught Christina's attention.

"What are they doing?" Alan asked a moment before Christina set off at a racing pace across the landscape.

Without much warning Alan found his own horse following suit. By the time Alan had arrived Christina was knelt next to something he couldn't quite see properly. It was an animal of some kind which wasn't moving.

"Turkey Vultures circle when an animal is close to death or dead." Chris said picking the lifeless animal up into her arms. "This little guy... with some care and attention stands a chance Alan, and this is why we check the animals."

Nodding Alan helped Christina back onto the horse as they made their way back to the house. The small calf held tightly by Christina hardly moved or opened its eyes on the way back, Alan couldn't see that the small animal would survive it barely looked like it was alive as it was. The yard was still empty as they made their way over to the barn.

"Alan see that empty stall there... could you move some of the straw over there into it?" Christina asked watching as Alan did as asked.

She was partly amazed by the boy, stunned that all morning there hadn't been any sign of an argument, disagreement or temper tantrum. Even now as she asked him to do the simplest of tasks she thought there might be a word or two but nothing. When Alan stepped back she placed the calf carefully on the straw and glanced back at him.

"You want to lend a hand?" Chris asked as Alan stepped forward. "Okay, sit here and keep her still and calm, I'll get some fluids and then you can feed her."

Alan looked a little terrified at the prospect of being left alone with the animal although once Christina had him situated and showed him what to do; he appeared to relax a little. Walking back to the house Christina was pretty pleased with the morning so far, her mind was far from work and now the only thing she was thinking of was getting a formula for the calf Alan was sitting with. She walked into the kitchen seeing the faces of the Tracy family just getting started on breakfast as Bill sat shaking his head at them.

"Morning." She said chirpily hearing the repeated word and receiving a small nod from Bill.

"Have you seen Alan?" Jeff asked a mild look of worry creeping into his features as he spoke his youngest son's name.

"He's in the barn; can I ask you to take something to him once I've finished up with it?" Chris asked.

Jeff furrowed his brow wondering what trouble Alan had gotten himself into this time. The family watched as Chris made up a bottle filled with water and several powers that Jeff had little clue about. Chris passed the bottle to Jeff and smiled.

"Okay tell Alan to tip the bottle gently let the little one drink, don't force it. If he needs help just let me know."

Chris kept smiling as Jeff looked as if she was speaking a foreign language to her. Still as Jeff shuffled from the kitchen she saw the looks of the others. Mostly quizzical in expression with a mild hint of curiosity Chris wondered if they were all as nosey when it came to anyone other than Alan. Then again perhaps that was what family was like, a strange yet trusting group of people who knew each other well enough to think the worst before knowing the facts.

"Alan's helped me out this morning; he's taking care of someone in the barn." She said hoping to at least answer a few obvious questions for them, "Boys have fun today and try not to over work yourselves, that goes for you too Bill!"

With that Christina disappeared upstairs, trying to escape the harsh glare Bill shot toward her. She found herself once again getting changed once again for work. She had taken off her suit from the previous day only a few hours ago having only caught a few naps here and there, now it was morning again and time to get back to what she had almost forgotten.


	21. She's My Kind Of Rain

Jeff was lost for words as he sat in the living room, his head spinning with thoughts that seemed to be so useless to him. He had spent the entire day with his youngest son for once not in a principals office, not digging him out of trouble or even breaking up an argument between his brothers. They had actually spoken to each other. More than that they had spoken to each other since morning and in some way Jeff felt he understood his youngest son a little better. Alan had never been a bad kid, misguided yes but never bad. Perhaps it was his own fault for not being there, his older brothers had been at a better age to understand why Jeff just couldn't handle being at home. Still Alan was only a small child when Lucy had passed away.

Scott had taken over the role of mother and father for four younger brothers and Jeff had watched as Alan tried to find his feet in a family that wasn't exactly the most conventional. Talking to the teenager was always a task; he found that being ready for battle worked well as Alan had a way of pushing his buttons. It usually ended up with the pair yelling at each other or simply just not talking. Today however thanks to a sick calf and a task set by Christina, Jeff found the time to sit and talk about everything he could have possibly thought of. It ranged from the small school reports to his own reasons for not allowing his youngest son into the family business.

Jeff couldn't say that everything had been fixed within a day; it simply didn't work that way however a better understanding or even mutual understanding had occurred on some level. Alan didn't agree with being kept away from the Thunderbirds until he finished school but Jeff hoped that he understood the reason, meanwhile Jeff understood just why Alan had acted the way he had been. The feeling of being left out, looking in on a group of people that were family yet kept him out of something he knew all about but was forbidden to go near.

Taking a deep breath and sighing Jeff heard the front door open and the familiar sound of footsteps that could only be Bill. The man looked tired although from what Jeff had seen the man almost always did. Dropping down into one of the armchairs Bill held an almost wicked smile.

"Hear you and your boy had a good... chat?" Bill said wanting to know most if not all the details.

"We did and it's thanks to your girl. Chris knows how to work people." Jeff said having realised earlier that the small task of taking a bottle out to his son was the beginning of something bigger. "I don't know why I didn't do something like this before."

Bill laughed shaking his head toward Jeff. Things were never easy when it came to children and they all had a way of making every parent have tunnel vision no matter what the reason. Bill didn't have children, only the one adopted daughter who now was a woman he never thought the baby he had seen all those years ago would ever turn into.

"Trust me hindsight is a wonderful thing when we get to do the right thing." Bill said shaking his head as he reached for the TV remote.

"Honestly I think I understand Alan a lot more, well not entirely but it feels like I'm a few steps further forward than I was." Jeff added smiling comfortably as the TV screen flicked into life.

Jeff saw the animated cartoon character fly across the screen as Bill rolled his eyes, "You wouldn't think that any adults lived in this house."

The pair laughed at the statement when the channel changed to the evening news. The red banner scrolled along the bottom of the screen with text that only held bad news.

_Two explosions rock the city this evening. Investigators tonight are sifting through the wreckage of two sites, the first at Central Station disrupting all trains incoming and outgoing. _

Bill shook his head as the new reader was replaced with a live camera crew at the site. Jeff had seen the devastation of all sorts of disasters flying the Thunderbirds but this was different, the pictures showed the ground level results of such an occurrence and the vividly bright flashing blue and red lights of police cars, fire engines and ambulance service.

_Twelve confirmed dead this evening with the fatality rate expected to rise as emergency crews continue their work. We now go live to __Clifford Davis Federal Building, where the second explosion today occurred._

Jeff stared at the images; it was not as bad as the first scene though when the camera moved to different angles it was clear to see that the glass at the front of the building was shattered and spread over the concrete, cracked and damaged shards littering the floor. A few cars looked badly burned only the metal frames left smouldering as once again the sight of emergency crews working were shown.

_We have been told that there were only three fatalities at the __Clifford Davis Federal Building, two of which were Federal Agents who have yet to be named. The explosions were caused by leaky gas pipes and authorities are working to minimise any other damage._

The mere words were enough to see Bill's colour drain from his face, Jeff saw the man tighten his grip of the remote control and appeared to cease breathing for a good few moment. Jeff couldn't say he wasn't a little concerned himself as Bill changed channels back to the happy pictures of the cartoon character.

"Do you want to talk?" Jeff said unsure what he could say that would make things any better.

Bill simply shook his head and sank further back into the armchair; it took two sharp knocks on the front door for the man to look scared to death. If there had been any colour left in Bill's face it was gone, he appeared frozen as Jeff rose from the couch to take a few steps toward the front door. Had it not been for his slight ignorance to the entire situation Jeff was sure he would have been rooted to the spot the same way Bill currently was. Jeff held out a shaky hand to open the door, his heart almost in his throat as the hinges creaked revealing the tall, baseball capped officially dressed figure. The black suit, white shirt, blue windbreaker with three letters emblazoned on one side of the chest. Jeff's eyes hadn't even begun to see past the chain that held a shiny Federal Agent's badge when the voice knocked him back into reality.

"You guy's seen Luca, she here yet?" Duke almost bellowed as he stepped passed Jeff and invited himself in.

Jeff still held his grip on the door for a few seconds after Duke had entered before he pushed the door closed and turned to see if Bill was looking any better.

"Not here yet... where is she? Why isn't she with you?" Bill asked in the smallest and quietest tone Jeff had ever heard the man use.

Duke simply shook his head before dropping himself down onto one end of the couch closely followed by Jeff. The man looked grave, his eyes showing nothing and his face as expressionless as a blank wall.

"We got separated, me to Central Station and Luca to..." Duke stood gritted his teeth, "Anyone heard from her here? Blondie?"

Jeff raised his brow and shook his head, since the morning Jeff hadn't heard a thing. Bill also shook his head pulling an old cell phone from his pocket; his eyes glanced across the screen seeing nothing.

"Was it really a gas leak?" Bill asked closing his eyes half knowing the answer already.

"The media truth, it's a gas leak." Duke stated, "What I know to be the truth I can't tell you right now. Where's BLONDIE!"

Duke rose from his seat walking toward the foot of the stair case. Jeff was sure if Duke wanted to have a conversation with someone in the next state he wouldn't need to use a phone as John appeared at the top of the stairs.

"You heard from Luca?" Duke asked almost in a normal tone.

When John answered no, Jeff heard Duke rattle off several new swear words before storming back into the living room. The man didn't seem to know where to put himself, Jeff watched as Duke began to pace hardly adding any ease to the situation.

"You thought about calling her?" John suggested leaning against one of the walls, almost looking like he was going to bolt to freedom.

"Tried, phone lines are down with an overload of calls, and we didn't have time for full gear. Communications are dark." Duke muttered slamming his head into his hands when he dropped down onto the couch. Duke hissed muttering under his breath. "When we find these guy's there isn't going to be a hole big enough to bury them."

John looked puzzled as he glanced between the aged faced of Bill, his father's worried look and Duke who appeared he was about to do something rash at any moment. He almost wanted to ask what had happened though he could see it wasn't going to be a good answer. It was only a few minutes before they heard the tyres on the gravel outside, Duke was first up leaping over the couch and had reached the front door before Jeff or John had time to move a muscle.

By the time Bill, Jeff and John were stood on the porch Christina stood in the shadows by her truck speaking to Duke in hushed voices. Jeff couldn't make out what was being said although when Duke moved toward his own car and the engine started he didn't think it was anything bad. The only light cast in the yard was from the doors and windows, the yellow-orange glow didn't show much but when Christina appeared into the light Jeff saw more than he could comprehend.

The woman he had seen leave earlier that day was almost unrecognisable when she walked toward then, her shirt was covered in what Jeff could only think was blood, more than he had seen in a long time. Her black suit pants were torn, her face bloody though no of it appeared to bother her as she stood in front of them, her eyes catching Bill's worried stare.

"It's not mine." She said simply smiling as best she could while walking past them into the warmth of the house.

Jeff glanced toward Bill who didn't seem entirely relieved by the sight; he honestly couldn't say he was either although as Christina climbed the stairs he saw his son's stare. Jeff knew what John felt for the woman; to a father it was easy to see although knowing if the one who held his son's affections felt the same, well that was a little more complicated.

"Leave her son." Jeff said softly though it appeared to have no real effect when John too climbed the stairs.

"No use telling them anything Jeff, children rarely listen to what parents say." Bill muttered dropping back into his seat.

Still Jeff couldn't deny the fact he had some concern for his son. Upstairs John stood in the middle of the hallway unsure what he was going to do, he knew what he wanted to do, his head knew it too yet still invisible strings had his feet rooted to the floor debating the possible outcomes of the situation. Eventually after what felt like hours John retreated back to where Bill and Jeff where sat, one reading the newspaper from that day and the other watching some wildlife documentary that neither seemed to be paying much attention to.

Christina was stood in her room staring at herself in the mirror; she could hardly believe how the day had gone so sideways on her. Leaving the office in a rush with Duke earlier that day it was the same as most other days. They each had a place to be and no idea what they were going to meet. Her head had replayed every moment that had passed, from the moment she got the call to go to the Clifford Davis Building. The sight of everyday life carrying on as usual and the chaos that had ensued, the federal agents hand she had held waiting for the emergency services that were just a few seconds too late to make a difference. It was as if she didn't feel anything when she stood there, even the drive home had been... she couldn't find the words to describe it.

The string of red lights on the road home that usually made her curse a little were just another road signal, she stopped obediently waited and didn't once utter anything. Even the three faces on the doorstep of the ranch house didn't cause her to feel anything. Her appearance wasn't too far from a Halloween zombies, her clothes torn and bloody and even now as she stared at herself in the mirror she felt precious little. Sighing she pull off her ruined shirt, it was one of many that just needed to be thrown out. She had learned a long time ago that trying to wash certain things from clothes was a waste of time, besides even when the stain had gone she could still see it was there plain as day.

Christina sighed heavily as she closed the bathroom door gently. She tried desperately not to think about what had gone on that day; she concentrated for a long while on the morning. She stepped under the spray of warm water remembering the calf and wondering how Jeff had gotten on with Alan as the water soaked her hair, the water quickly washed away the dirt of a very long day. The memories were so far away as she dressed again, simple jeans and an oversized jumper she was far too fond of. Even walking back down stairs she felt nothing, no sadness no relief to be home after a long day. Christina knew it wasn't right, she knew she was going back to the way she had been when Lady Penelope had found her and brought her into the team. A smile on the outside and dead on the inside and the worst part was she had no idea how to fix it this time.

She walked past the three men sat in the living room simply nodding at them before walking out into the darkness of the yard. Christina walked as far as a wooden fence that made up a small paddock; the darkness prevented her from seeing the other side of the enclosed space however she didn't mind. She leaned against the fence staring out into the darkness her mind trying to make sense of what it could.

John had seen her walk out of the house, her face lacking any smile or grin, even the happiness that was infectious was gone. He could see something was wrong; the warm smile that never failed to melt his heart, even the sparkle that her brown eyes held was gone and replaced with something that just wasn't the woman who had left that morning. John paid little attention to the idle conversation that had occurred between Jeff and Bill; he simply got up and left his father and Bill to talking as he made his way outside. It surprised him to see her so close to the house, he half expected a hunt to find her yet it didn't matter to him. Without hesitation he closed the gap between them walking toward her like he knew what he was going to do.

Even when his hand reached out toward her shoulder causing her to turn to face him, he had no idea what he was thinking. It took a mere moment for him to make up his mind, the moment he saw her face it didn't take more than a seconds thought when he took her into his arms and held her tightly against him.

"Everything's okay." John whispered to her softly, it was beyond him why he said it but the two words were the first ones that came to him.

Christina found it hard to catch up with the moments that passed before her; the feeling of his arms around her holding her tight followed by two simple words was enough to bring back the flood of emotion she thought had been lost. She held him just as tightly as silent tears began to fall from her eyes, they soaked John's shirt in minutes and when she felt the dampness of the fabric against her own cheek she pushed away from his embrace.

"I'm sorry... I shouldn't have... my fault." She spluttered not even looking at him. She didn't cry in front of people who weren't family, least of all those she cared about.

John had no clue what to do in that moment, the feeling of her pulling away from him was far more confusing than he had ever imagined. The thousand words he wanted to blurt out right then seemed lodged in his throat when he stared at her tear-stained face.

"Christina I... I..." Love you, he thought desperately. I love you, his mind yelled at him though the words just wouldn't form.

The silence seemed to scream louder than anything else whilst the pair stared at each other. John watched helplessly as Christina took a few steps backward, he knew she was going to run he could see it in her eyes when he held out his hand to her though when she saw it he watched her turn and flee. Standing there he lost sight of her as the darkness provided a decent cover for the escape. John stood out there until his father called him from the porch; he wanted to stay out there for the rest of the night although when he glanced up toward the stars he wondered just why he couldn't say what he wanted to. Walking back to the house was like admitting defeat, even when he set foot through the door he could see Bill and Jeff trying to smile and nod reassuringly.

"She'll come around." Bill said optimistically, "It's been a long day for her."

Bill knew it was no excuse, he had no clue what had really gone on that day although like always he knew Christina would come around eventually. Bill watched Jeff usher his son upstairs before he turned out the lights and did the same knowing that Christina would come back when she was ready.


	22. All This Time

It was edging to the wrong side of two in the morning as Jeff was awoken by Lady Penelope; the thunderbirds had received a call about a land slide and several people were stranded on a roof top. The boys were already dressed and ready to go as Jeff made his way groggily from his room, his brain doing its best to piece together the information he had been given. He looked toward the end of the hall at Alan's room, he wondered if they could all quietly sneak out without his youngest son knowing. He was hopeful though his hope was soon turned to sadness as Alan appeared dressed and ready to leave. Jeff knew he had made some ground with his youngest son and he didn't want to think leaving him behind this time would put an end to it.

"Alan, not this time okay." Jeff said softly watching his sons smile fade quickly. "I need you to cover our tracks this time; when we get home you can sit in on the first mission I promise."

Jeff saw Alan nod, his face still showing disappointment still as his feet moved along the hallways Jeff hoped the promise of sitting in on the next mission could make up for the disappointment. Alan followed his brothers down stairs surprised that no one had stirred in their exit into the night which was until the front door opened. Alan didn't know what to do pondering the escape possibilities, duck left into the living room and pretend he had been asleep there? A good choice though not so believable, so what if he took a right into the kitchen to get a glass of water, it wasn't too obvious a lie but then how would he explain his brothers and father all being dressed? Alan had crossed Christina before and creeping around the house at night he was sure would look very suspicious to a federal agent.

Christina stood there in the doorway surprised to see the Tracy family making an exit into the night. Her brow was raised slightly when Lady Penelope stepped forward clearing her throat softly before she spoke. She looked the picture of calmness dressed in pink jeans and matching pink shirt, trade mark colours of course. In the years Christina had known Lady Penelope the woman never wore anything that wasn't pink, she herself couldn't imagine limiting her wardrobe to just one colour though Penny seemed to have it down to an art, never appearing anything but the picture of perfection.

"Ah Christina, just the person I was trying to locate. I am taking the boys to see a particular bird, Jeff is a bird watching enthusiast and speaking to some locals I found out that there is a particularly rare bird that has been sighted not far from here." She stated catching Christina's quizzical look.

"Okay." Chris said shaking her head and smiling a little not believing a word she had been told, "Hobby is a hobby I guess. Good luck seeing anything at this time of night."

Christina tried to mask the suspicious tone in her voice deciding to just go with it. The interrogation could happen when they all reappeared she told herself smiling at the thought of who would be first to spill the real reason for the trip. She stood aside watching as most of the Tracy's made their way to their Mercedes leaving Alan and John standing by the door.

"Not tagging along?" Christina asked curiously looking between the pair.

"No... Birds they aren't my thing, figured I'd catch some sleep." Alan replied yawning and stretching his arms effectively.

"Guess you had better go upstairs then." She said as Alan made a quick dash for the stairs, bounding up them two at a time. Her gaze turned toward John who was still stood there.

Talking had never been a problem for John, he spoke to many people on a daily basis and in different languages yet when he was stood there in front of her, words just seemed to constantly fail him. It was odd when he saw so gifted with languages, still as he stood there he half expected Christina to turn and flee as she had earlier though this time she simply stood still. Her hand held the door open and a small smile upon her face.

"JOHN HURRY UP!" Scott yelled from the car causing John to flinch.

"Looks like you had better go find this bird you dad wants to see." Chris said glancing toward the car.

John nodded taking a few steps toward the car that's engine was now running. He was about to take another step when he felt a warm hand catch his own. He turned to see Christina chewing on her lip as if debating what to say.

"I know you have to go but... I wanted to say I was sorry about earlier." She said hurriedly, glancing everywhere but his face. "Also I wondered if you'd like to help me at the market tomorrow. You don't have to... I mean it's up to you."

Christina wasn't sure if he would take up the offer; she was trying her best to make up for earlier but knowing exactly how to do that had driven her mad. It had taken her this long to pluck up the courage to even come back to the house let alone ask if he was interested in helping her out at a market. Holding her breath and waiting for his answer she was surprised to feel him squeeze her hand lightly, her eyes cast a cautious gaze toward his face to see him smiling at her.

"I'd love to."He said seeing her smile toward him for a moment, before hearing yet another more urgent yell from Scott. "Looks like bird watching calls, I'll see you later then."

John had never been as relieved walking toward the car, not only did he have a second chance to say what he had failed to earlier but he had seen her smile again. Sitting quietly in the car John wondered how a simple smile could make him feel like a million dollars, it was infectious as he found himself smiling and staring out at the scenery that passed in a flash as they drove toward the waiting Thunderbirds. Scott sat in Thunderbird one with John and Parker as co-pilots. It was a nice change to actually have his brother sitting in on a mission and not just hearing his voice over the ear pieces though when John began his communications with Tracy Island and slowly became the link to the officials on the ground. The talking slowly became a distraction still Scott enjoyed the company as he concentrated on his own job.

Sitting in Thunderbird two, Jeff watched and listened to the TV broad cast that covered the event. He decided to take a back seat for this mission and let his son's work without his interference. Keeping his opinions to himself while surveying the scene happened to be much tougher than he first thought as he found himself having to bite his tongue to stop himself voicing a few slight adjustments he would make.

"_This house behind me is now in danger of total collapse. There is real concern for the lives of the family of four who remain trapped on the roof of their home." _

The Reporter on the scene said to the camera as it zoomed in on the scene.

"_An emergency call went out to the Thunderbirds a few minutes ago and they should be here any moment now."_

"_And here they are"_

Jeff smiled as he saw the live coverage of Thunderbird one flying overhead. He found himself beaming at the screen watching with pride as he heard the voices of his sons talking over the best approach for the rescue. Each mission was different yet the pride he felt listening and watching his son's handle things never changed.

"Thunderbird 2 this is Thunderbird 1, I have visual. The family's trapped on the roof and the structure doesn't look like it's going to last much longer."

Scott's voice boomed over the radios as Fermat moved Virgil from the front seat and took over the controls of Thunderbird 2. Jeff hadn't been all too sure about letting Fermat and Parker fly the machines in the event of an emergency although so far it had worked out fine.

Jeff felt the machine move into position as Virgil and Gordon passed him on the way to the rescue platform. It was a proud moment watching as his sons work. He had thought long and hard about what Christina had told him about Alan but this mission he felt it best to leave his youngest out of. It gave some credibility to the 'bird watching' story Penny had told though he wondered if Christina had bought the complete lie or was just giving them the benefit of the doubt.

"Here we go. Rescue platform's on its way." Virgil said as the pair waved a good bye.

"Gordon, how's it going?" Jeff asked finding it difficult to keep out of the action.

"Looking good, Dad. I've got a visual. Hold it there." He heard him say.

"Target's locked. Firing rescue lines" Virgil added as the moments ticked by. "Hoist away! Let's haul them out."

"Commencing reverse thrust." Fermat added.

"Get 'em out fast. That house is gonna go!" Scott bellowed.

Jeff's eyes suddenly became fixed on the screen as the live news cast caught the moment the family was lifted from the roof just as the building gave way beneath their feet. The family dangled from four steel cables that were attached to the rescue platform. Gordon and Virgil carefully hauled each person onto the platform as they returned to the safety of Thunderbird Two. Jeff quickly made himself useful as he pulled a few blankets out and made his way toward the family, making sure they were all warm.

"_Amazing! The Thunderbirds have done it again!"_ The news reader commented as the departing shot of the two enormous machines appeared and disappeared.

Within the space of fifteen minutes the family had been safely handed over to several capable hands that awaited them at a nearby hospital. It was the best part of a rescue when they could hand people alive and well into the safe hands of others, the feeling of success and a job well done ran high among them. A sigh of relief was taken by all on board Thunderbird Two as Virgil and Gordon made their way back toward their father grinning.

"Nice one." Scott called over the radio as Gordon caught Virgil in an affectionate head lock.

"Thanks." Virgil muttered smiling as he took a seat trying not to grin too much.

The journey back hardly seemed as long. The time passed with some small talk; there were a few yawns as they departed from the machines waving Parker and Fermat off before once again making the drive back to the ranch. Jeff pulled in at a rest stop getting a cup of much needed coffee as he glanced at the clock. Five thirty flashed in blaring red letters as he took a long drink from the cup wondering what kind of questions they would face when they got back. He was sure that there would be some kind of passing comment if not some kind of chat about rare birds.

"We might even beat the lady of the house up today." Scott joked as John rested his head against the window.

"Can't we sleep until it's actually light outside?" John asked as he was jabbed in the ribs by Virgil.

"If you can't take the heat stay out of the kitchen"

"Yeah bro... we do this all the time and we don't complain." Scott added chuckling. "You just sit up in space and talk too much."

"Okay okay"

The joking words slowly subsided as they once again got back onto the road. The secluded location of the ranch made taking the back roads the only option as the two head lights provided illumination for the dark road. The jesting between the brothers continued as Lady Penelope sat in the front seat alongside Jeff listening to the jibes. Her laughing one moment turned to a shriek as she wildly pointed out through the dark windscreen. Suddenly in the mix of laughing Jeff leaned harshly on the horn, wheel and breaks causing the car to spin into a gravel ditch, their wheels flew over the stones as Jeff struggled to control the vehicle before they were slammed back onto the road and came to a sudden halt.

"Everything's under control."Jeff said whipping the first signs of sweat from his forehead.

Scott turned in his seat looking at the very alert faces of his brothers who appeared to be shaken. Jeff's heart was beating out of his chest, his eyes glanced over the road and that's when he saw it. The red tail lights of three dark sedans in the light cast by their headlights, the three offending cars speed out of the entrance to the Ranch one car flying past them as the two others tore away in the opposite direction. The tinted windows made visual identification of the drivers impossible though when Lady Penelope gripped the dashboard she appeared suddenly flustered as she tore at her pocket revealing her trademark pink cell phone.

"Is everyone okay?" She asked taking a steady breath, her eyes glancing at the screen of her phone

Fifteen missed calls and eight voicemails; it was possible that she had missed an appointment in the UK although she knew Parker had cleared her schedule for the entire two weeks. She heard the unanimous yes from the Tracy's and placed a hand on Jeff's arm urging him to keep driving as they made the half mile trip toward the farm house. Scrolling through the calls she had received it was clear to see that Duke, Shep, Christina and Reese had all tried to contact her. Perhaps her bird watching story hadn't gone down as well as she had first hoped.

It was like nothing they had ever seen before; police cars filled the yard their lights flashing blue and red, illuminating faces every now and again. A black coroners van was parked in the corner with two bleary eyed men leaning against the back doors. John's heart was in his mouth as he glanced wildly around the many solemn faces, the sight of federal agents walking in and out of the farm house carrying evidence bags and crime scene kits sent a sharp shiver down his spine. All had plastic shoe covers on and a few even had white coveralls on. Several crisp white sheets covered what he assumed to be bodies dotted here and there, Scott counted at a glance three although there was no telling how many had been put into the Coroners Van already.

"Stay in the car boys." Penny told them, "Keep the engine going."

Scott didn't like her tone even the way she walked cautiously past the on looking faces of a few police officers who were deep in conversation. The whole scene just didn't feel right to him, it was almost as if they had driven into the aftermath of Die Hard movie –which just happened to be a favourite of his- still the sight seemed to surreal.

Lady Penelope walked past the agents in the yard, none of them challenging her as she saw the face of Duke who towered above most of them. The man stood watching as evidence boxes were loaded quickly into the back of a black SUV, his face visibly frowning with a stare almost verging on scary. Duke didn't even speak when he saw her approach; he simply nodded toward the front door of the house that now had more holes in than a moth eaten sheet. It was hanging by one hinge that threatened to give way at any point.

"They're not here." He said quietly, the normally loud and booming voice turned into a timid and almost shaky sound.

Penny just stared at the sight that greeted her eyes, she had looked past the bullet ridden door to the inside of a once friendly and familiar home she found herself unsettled by the spattered walls and blood stained rug by the door. She stood silently as people moved around her, walking in the out of a scene that looked so much like a horror movie. Her gaze was only broken when she heard the bellowing tones of Duke warning off someone else approaching the house.

"Mr Tracy. Stop!" Duke yelled running to stop Jeff from moving any further.

Duke's arm made quick work of stopping Jeff dead in his tracks, the man made every effort to push past the agent as his sons soon joined him only to be stopped by a wall of federal agents.

"Where's Alan?" Jeff asked loudly, "ALAN... ALAN."

The father's yells weren't answered. Duke could see the growing desperation in Jeff's face as his eyes began to search every inch of the farm yard. His eyes stopped dead on a gurney that appeared in the doorway of the house, the black bag caused the breath to catch in his throat. It was the part of the job he hated, all emergency service personal did. The moment he had to tell a father his son was gone.

"God no." He spluttered leaning into Duke who held him steady with ease.

Jeff stared at the black bag. It simply couldn't be him. The moment he knees buckled Jeff felt Duke hold him up but still he found no strength to actually stand. His mouth was dry and the world that was moving around him seemed to stop. Jeff felt as if he had been punched in the chest, the very moment his eyes had seen the gurney.

"Mr Tracy it's not Alan." Duke said firmly, "Alan's not here, we're looking for him but he's not here."

Jeff didn't know what to think or do at that moment. He could hear his sons asking a million questions yet he found himself unable to speak let alone think of any question to ask. His son wasn't there; he had to be there somewhere he reasoned with himself. They had left him earlier; he was going to stay at the Ranch and be safer than he would have been aboard a Thunderbird. Alan had to be there. It was a moment before Jeff felt himself being walked back to the car, his feet moving along with Duke who appeared to be carrying him more than letting him walk himself.

"Back to the bat cave." Duke said smiling as he seated Jeff among his sons in the back of the car.

Lady Penelope took up her front seat as Duke drove; it was slow at first until they hit the tarmac road. The world sped by as questions were yelled and thrown about receiving no answers from Duke. A simple 'We don't know much' was the only response they got. Jeff stared out at the road hardly believing his world had been turned on its head, he didn't hear what his sons said closing his eyes and wishing it was all a nightmare he would soon wake up from.


	23. I Won't Give Up

His sons never stopped asking question after question on the way to the federal building despite the best efforts of Duke, the man had tried repeatedly to hush them but they still asked the same things over and over. Jeff hadn't spoken a word the entire trip despite Gordon's reassuring reasons for what they had seen; among his theories was one that Jeff was holding out all his hope for. It was quite simple. Alan had run away, he would be found hiding in a barn or out in the trees trying to find his way back to the house. Still Jeff couldn't shake the sinking feeling he felt as he thought of his youngest son. It seemed to be the longest journey he had ever taken and even the walk to the familiar office they had been in earlier seemed so unwelcoming and clinical now.

"Any luck?" Reese called out when he saw the tired faces piling through the glass doors.

Duke shook his head as he motioned for Lady Penelope to follow him to the far end of the room. Reese was already standing there, his clothes crumpled and dirty, a weary look upon worn on his face and the general demeanour of a man who had been through the ringer a few times too many.

"Excuse us one moment boys" Penny said following Duke.

Jeff watched as Reese, Duke and Penny walked into a far room and the door was closed quickly behind them. Jeff dropped down onto one of the sofa's in the office, he had no idea how he had made the walk to the office. Everything seemed to take more effort than he could afford. It didn't take long before Lady Penelope stepped out of the far room followed by Duke and Reese who appeared even more perplexed than before.

"I see little choice left other than to explain."Penny began as she sat gracefully on one of the many sofas. Her hands rested upon her lap while her eyes surveyed the faces of the Tracy family. "This is precisely what we know. Alan and Christina are missing."

Penny knew it was blunt and to the point yet there was no sugar coating the situation for any of them. Everyone who stood in the room was old enough to fully grasp the situation for what it was and hear all the details. It was the sudden raised voices of the Tracy's and torrent of questions caused Penny to raise a single hand for silence.

"We think that Alan and Christina are together somewhere, hopefully safe somewhere. Alan is in good hands but we just have to wait and see."

Penny stated knowing that even that little piece of hopeful information wasn't enough to give peace to a family that was now distraught in front of her. It took her a moment to decide if telling the whole truth would perhaps put a better light on things but even a better light could not change the facts. Her eyes gazed at the floor for a split second before taking a deep breath and readying herself to explain what she could.

"As Supreme Commander of the Federal Agents Bureau, I work with many agencies and complete many top-secret assignments for various organisations."

The Tracy's nodded as Duke and Reese stood side by side, their hands clasped behind their backs and their eyes focused on the floor directly in front of them. They had the appearance of naughty school children who were about to be questioned despite the tired looks they both held. Jeff could hardly keep a straight line of thought as he stared at the two agents stood there.

"I chose a team of agents to help me in accomplishing those tasks, those agents were chosen from all agencies and brought under one roof." Penny said softly motioning around the room. "Agent Reese, is from the Tennessee police department, Duke is a former Navy Seal, and Christina is from the Central Intelligence Agency. Three agents that are top of their classes and have outstanding service records. Then there is Shep who used to be the Agent in Charge here, before that he served with the British Special Air Service and now he has the assignment of protection detail."

"Oh that explains a hell 'ova lot" Gordon mumbled rolling his eyes wondering why they hadn't figured it out before. "Kinda obvious now when you think about it."

Another round of nodding was completed before Lady Penelope spoke any more.

"In my efforts to keep the agents identities secret I chose this location and the FBI to help disguise their lives and jobs. So far it has worked like a dream; however it appears now that someone has found a way to bypass the security measures taken to keep this secret. Now since you were staying with an agent, it would appear that you are now involved and are at risk."

Jeff opened his mouth to speak but found himself hushed by Lady Penelope. She knew his questions, she knew their secret but there was simply nothing she could do about it anymore. The Thunderbirds were officially grounded in her mind; the Tracy family couldn't and wouldn't be saving the world for the foreseeable future.

"You cannot go home, you must not contact anyone. You shall leave this building and you must do exactly what is asked of you. There are no exceptions here. Now, I believe we have work to do."

"We have to find Alan." Jeff said standing up defiantly, if there was one thing he couldn't do it was sit and do nothing.

"What do we have?" Shep yelled blowing past the Tracy's heading toward Reese and Duke.

"Nothing." Duke muttered passing a stack of files Reese before dropping down behind his desk.

"We've worked with less, so don't give me the 'we have nothing crap'." Shep bellowed. "We've got two kidnap victims, attempted kidnappings on Reese's family, The Princess Royal and Duke. We have to have something!"

Penny watched as Shep toyed with the two photographs in his hands, the board that stood before him held the names of Alan and Christina with the relevant information under each, a general description and lines of enquiry to follow which was nothing more than a few suspected sightings. Shep kept looking at the board before pinned up the two photographs. Alan was smiling in a school photo that had been taken earlier that year and Christina's FBI ID photo held no smile only the straight face of a woman he had spoken to mere hours ago.

"So let's run this from the beginning." Shep announced glancing back to the faces of Duke and Reese. "What we know: the two victims are unaccounted for, the place of residence show signs of a struggle."

"Doors hanging by hinges, bullet holes in walls and dead bodies are more than signs of a struggle!" John yelled walking toward them, "They are people not victims and they have names!"

Reese spun around as if he was about to speak. Suddenly his head bowed low as he bolted for the door of the office. John was surprised the glass door was still in one piece as Duke followed quickly on Reese's heels. John clenched his fists waiting for some kind of retaliation for his outburst yet all he found was Shep standing there shaking his head disapprovingly. He watched the suited man roll his shoulders and stretch his neck for a few moments. The silence that now shrouded the room only made the tense feeling worse.

"John, we use the word victim to keep things at a distance. If you want us to find your bother we don't need things getting personal, the minute it does we put ourselves in harm's way and the people we want to save." Shep said firmly before resting a hand on the blonde haired man's shoulders. "We all know their names, every case we work here we know the names of the victims no matter what."

It was a good while before Reese and Duke reappeared. The two had blood shot eyes probably from tears John assumed debating if anything needed to be said. The thought was soon pushed from his mind as Duke simply nodded and tried to produce a smile.

"The techs are combing the evidence now; we should have forensics by the end of the day boss." Duke said saluting Reese as he seated himself behind his desk and smirked to Reese.

Shep laughed as Reese almost grinned back at the two other agents in the room. Penny simply nodded approvingly as Reese stood in the middle of the floor surveying the faces in the room. Both Shep and Duke knew what was to be done and by the sudden spur of energy he saw they were already making some headway. Turning to see the Tracy's all at a loss of what to do Reese pushed a few boxes of files across the floor to them, flicking off the lids revealing a mess of paperwork.

"Somewhere in there are the answers we need." He told them motioning to the boxes, "Flag anything that doesn't sit right with you to anyone of us."

Reese raised his brow as the Tracy family who looked quizzical at what was being said. He grabbed another box and let it drop with a thud onto a table nearby.

"We need all the help we can get, so get busy or get out!" he bellowed seeing the Tracy family dive into the boxes quickly; his eyes then flickered toward a small silver box on a shelf.

Reese pointed a remote toward a small box and a split second later music filled the room, Jeff couldn't deny the distraction was welcomed as he began to read through the papers in front of him. The almost jolly music lifted the atmosphere as everyone had a purpose and something to distract them from the reality of what they were working toward. The day passed slowly with the occasional piece of information being found, the pieces were taped or pinned onto a fresh board they all could see. The space was slowly filled with different coloured paper, marker pen notes and string joining different sections together.

The evening was already starting to close in as Shep returned with food from a local takeout place down the street. No one really cared what it was as foil trays were emptied with surprising speed. Evening turned into night and when midnight approached everyone was asleep or half way there. It wasn't until early morning that movement once again began to turn the quiet office into a noisy work station. Duke was stood staring at the board that held most of their efforts from the previous day; his mind seemed to be elsewhere as one by one everyone came to a stop to look at what Duke was doing.

"Luca said Ghost was a pawn in this game... and what if it's exactly that, a game." Duke muttered his eyes darting from face to face for a moment. "Three unknown's, Ghost is a pawn, Mr Messy another pawn and Smiley the brains behind this."

Shep nodded while others seemed as puzzled at the next, Duke kept running through what they already knew. The killings had started off small; gang related then while that caused frictions in the status quo of gang land they upped their game targeting the police. Undercover cops, then on duty cops before again moving up to federal agents and Judges. Then they kidnap Alan and Christina.

"Alan and Luca... they don't make sense in the pattern." Duke said motioning to the board. "Alan... he's a rich kid so maybe that brings heat from the upper classes but Luca? She's just a federal agent they've already targeted feds."

Reese pushed several stacks of paper from a desk before flipping though a tanned colour file; his finger ran down a few pages before coming to a stop and tapping the page thoughtfully. Reese could feel the questioning eyes looking his way, it honestly didn't make sense to him right at that moment but it was the only possible explanation for what had occurred.

"It's an inside Job." He stated dropping the file back onto the stack. "Only an insider would know about this team, someone who works in this building or has business here... someone connected to us."

It was a sobering thought that someone they knew could be responsible for such horror and yet it was the only thing that made sense. A few mumbles could be heard as Duke made his way back toward his desk, a cup of coffee gripped firming in his hand. He hated the idea of an inside job but then after everything including the evaluations there wasn't much else left to think. He sighed as he scrolled through a few emails that he hadn't yet looked at, there was a confirmation of tickets booked to see the Memphis Redbirds play, it was a game he had been looking forward to for a while. A few office memos about updated expense forms, things that were not high on his to do list and then there was the last one. It was completely blank other than a link to a webpage. Normally he would have discarded the email thinking it was spam or someone wanting him to see a cat riding a skateboard but there was something about this email that made him click the link.

Moments passed as the cup of coffee he was holding fell from his hands, splashing onto the floor. His eyes transfixed on the sight he saw on the screen as the faces in the office began to stare at him.


End file.
